Revenge
by MissRosalieRiddle
Summary: Devastated by certain casualties of the war, Hermione Granger is suddenly faced with the ultimate challenge of her life. Mysteriously thrown back in time, Hermione comes face to face with the dark and handsome Tom Riddle. Consumed with hatred, Hermione uses her anger to fuel the one mission she yearns to accomplish: make Tom Riddle pay. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Darkness consumed every last bit of her vision. Her mind was working incessantly, desperately trying to grasp any lucid indication as to where she was. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't salvage one single memory that could help decipher what had occurred in the time frame that she was out. Her mind was still in shock, trying to recover from the abuse it had received.

Hermione Granger fought to drive the darkness down, her eyes fluttering open to finally take in her surroundings. In front of her line of vision looked like a stone wall, the sharp edges that protruded from it mere inches from her face. Her eyes focused on what looked like water dripping from the cracks in the stones, feeling it pool around her hand. Hermione let out a soft grunt, the action causing her breath to send dust flying all around her face. She coughed, slightly lifting her head to see that the floor she was lying on was made up of what looked like dirt, and from the way her body was shivering violently among the points of contact, the logical part of her brain rationalized that she was somewhere underground.

Noticing how stiff her neck was from that simple movement, Hermione experimentally stirred her fingers one by one, lifting them to help regain feeling in her right hand. Seeing as she could move her hand, Hermione became confident that she could at least move to sit herself against the wall and made the mistake of bending her right arm to lift herself up off of the floor. It was like every single one of her nerves were being tortured a hundred times over and over again, screaming to be released of the ceaseless pain. The pain traveled up her arm to the center of her body, spreading to all of her muscles. Hermione clenched her teeth, her throat holding back the scream that was begging to be let out. She dropped back down to the floor, her whole body now reciprocating the pain from her arm.

" _Come on Hermione. Get up,"_ she fiercely thought, forcing her body to lift itself up off of the floor, successfully sitting herself against the wall.

Looking down at herself she noticed that she was still in her night dress, her long legs smeared with blood and dirt. Hermione didn't understand why she was dressed like this in such a horrible place. She racked her brain for any memory that could convey information as to how she got here, but nothing came to the surface. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the wall, focusing on taking deep breaths.

 _BANG._

 _Hermione bolted up in her bed, her senses on high alert. Shouts could be heard and the sound of spells hitting the walls caused the whole house to shake. She felt a hand cling to her arm, Ginny having scooted over in their bed to confirm with Hermione the same grim assumption that was running through her own head. Voldemort was raiding Grimmauld Place._

 _Wasting no time, Hermione reached over Ginny and grabbed both of their wands from the nightstand._

" _Ginny, listen to me," Hermione said, gaining the red head's immediate attention._

" _I want you to stay close to me. We have to find Harry and Ron but we'll have to fight our way through. If under any circumstance you feel like you'll lose, I want you to run. Run to the safety point and I'll meet you there with the boys. Do you understand?" Hermione desperately searched Ginny's eyes for any agreement, but all she saw was defiance._

" _I'm not leaving you, Hermione. You seem to forget that I'm not a little girl anymore. I will fight alongside you, and I'm not running. Not without you," she said, grabbing Hermione's hands into her own._

" _It's you and me, remember?" Ginny said, half smiling._

 _Hermione smiled back at her best friend, but her answer was disrupted by a scream of one of the Order members._

" _Let's go," she said urgently, both girls throwing back the covers and running across the room._

 _Just as Hermione was about to throw open the bedroom door, she stopped short._

" _Hermione, what's wr – "_

" _Sh," Hermione said quietly, cutting off Ginny's question. She leaned her ear against the door and could hear ragged breaths on the other side. Curious, Ginny did the same, her eyes widening at the revelation. Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm, backing them slowly from the door._

" _Get your wand ready," Hermione whispered, not taking her eyes off the door. In her peripheral, she saw Ginny get into a fighting stance._

 _BOOOOM!_

 _The door that they were just leaning on blasted into a million pieces, spraying the two girls with dust and woodchips. Using the cloud of dust as a cover, Hermione and Ginny bolted through, throwing curses at the three Death Eaters that entered._

" _Bombardia!" Hermione yelled, blasting the three men over the stair railing. Sickening crunches could be heard as they met the bottom, their yells ceasing._

 _Cautiously peeking over the railing, Hermione saw that all three of them lay still, their necks broken._

" _Come on, they're dead. We need to find Harry and Ron," she said, grabbing the red head's hand and bolting down the stairs. She spared a glance at the three men lying dead on the floor before running for the door._

 _Just then, two forms lunged for them and out of instinct, Hermione screamed, throwing a sloppy 'Expelliarmus' spell at them._

" _BLIMEY! What did you do that for?!" she heard a male voice yell. She knew that voice with everything she had._

" _Ron? Ron!" she yelled, throwing herself into his arms. "Thank Merlin you're safe."_

 _Ron let go of her enough to look into her face. "We've been looking all over for you two! Where have you been?"_

" _We were upstairs in our bedroom. Three Death Eaters tried attacking but I took care of it," she said, dropping her eyes._

" _Well we're glad you're all safe," Harry said, letting go of Ginny enough to give Hermione a tight hug. "But we have to leave. Stay close. Molly and Arthur will meet us at the safety point."_

 _With that, the four Gryffindors ran out of Grimmauld Place, apparating to the safety point that the Order had set up for the children in case anything happened at base. Soon enough, they were enveloped in tall trees from every direction._

 _Hermione looked wildly around the forest, the trees seeming oddly more quiet than usual._

" _Guys… something's wrong,"_ _Hermione said. Her sharp, golden eyes ran over every aspect of the forest, watching for any movement. The other three tensed as well. Everyone knew to trust Hermione's gut instinct. She was always precise on the danger that awaited them._

 _Just then, Voldemort himself appeared before them, his half corporeal form floating ominously about six inches from the ground, his red snake-like eyes narrowing in malicious pleasure._

" _It'ssss time to die," he hissed before raising his wand._

 _Hermione wasn't having it. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" she screamed, watching as the curse hit Voldemort's impenetrable shield. The curse collided violently with the shield, fighting its way to get to its target. Voldemort himself was thrown back, but the curse dissipated with a single flick of his wrist. He stared at Hermione in shock. No one had ever been even close to hitting him with a spell, let alone knock him backwards._

" _AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" she screamed, throwing killing curse after killing curse at Voldemort, all of which never truly hit him but slowly peeled away his impenetrable shield. If only she could peel it away enough for the curse to actually hit him…_

" _The shield! Aim for the shield! It's disintegrating!" she yelled to the other three._

 _Ron, Ginny, and Harry soon joined Hermione, the four of them throwing killing curse after killing curse at Voldemort. Voldemort, knowing his shield was disintegrating snapped out of his reverie and sent a flash of green light towards Ginny._

 _Hermione dived to jump in front of Ginny. She would have made it; her lifeless body would be on the ground if an invisible force hadn't thrown her out of the way in time for the killing curse to not hit her, but its original intended target._

" _NO!" she screamed, her eyes meeting Ginny's at the exact time the curse hit her best friend. She sobbed at the sight of Ginny's lifeless body lying on the ground._

" _GINNY!" Ron screamed. He whirled towards Voldemort in anger. "THAT WAS MY LITTLE SISTER YOU FUCKING PRICK!"_

 _Ron threw a Sectumsempra curse at Voldemort, the curse again being pushed aside by a flick of his wrist. What he hadn't realized was that Hermione had silently sent the same curse towards him, this time the spell hitting its target._

 _Voldemort yelled in pain, his red eyes whipping around to find Hermione, instead coming face to face with a jet of green light. Voldemort disappeared, materializing a foot away from the place where he was just standing. His wide red eyes found Hermione just in time to witness her place a kiss on the red-haired girl's forehead and dart into the trees after Ron and Harry, Ron doubling back to take her hand into his._

" _I want them alive. All of them, especially the girl," Voldemort hissed, his order echoing threateningly in the heads of every single one of his Death Eaters who bore the Dark Mark._

 _Hermione ran with speed she never knew she possessed. Ron and Harry were right next to her and she could hear the shouts of Death Eaters following in their wake. Black mist soon surrounded them, hands clawing at her arms._

" _NO!" Hermione screamed, thrashing and clawing at the Death Eaters who held her hostage. She looked to find Harry being lifted away by the Death Eaters, his spells hitting their targets and dropping him to the ground once more. Ron attempted to pull Hermione out of the misty grasp but was thrown back by a spell. She looked to Ron desperately, his eyes meeting hers with such love and determination. Her resolve was set, she wasn't going down without a fight. The mist picked her up again, her wand getting thrown and lost somewhere in the trees._

" _Shit!" she thought. Anger boiling up, she wandlessly sent a hexing curse towards her captor, hearing him scream in pain and let go of the arm he was supporting. Only problem with that was that Hermione was at least fifty feet in the air and she screamed as she plummeted towards the earth._

 _She hit the ground, HARD, hearing a deafening crunch of bone as her arm twisted at an odd angle._

" _Hermione!" Ron yelled, hearing the breaking of bone._

" _I'm fine!" she yelled, grinding her teeth at the pain. "Go! Run! I'm right behind you!"_

 _Hermione bolted up as if she hadn't just fell fifty feet from the air and broken her arm and started sprinting through the thick brush, Ron right beside her._

" _Hermione, look out! NO!"_

 _She was almost to the full cover of the trees when a dark mist encircled her, her vision turning to black._

" _AH! AUUUUGHUH!" Hermione screamed, thrashing against her chains. "What have you done with Ron and Harry!"_

" _They're not important. Let's focus on you my little Gryffindor," Voldemort drawled, moving to place his hand on her cheek._

 _Anger boiling up within her very soul Hermione summoned the magic from her core, her form lighting a soft red before wandlessly sending a Sectumsempra curse straight at Voldemort. The curse made multiple lacerations on his scaly-grey skin, the Dark Lord flinching in pain. Her form glowed a soft green, Voldemort anticipating what she was doing stepped out of the way just in time for the curse to hit an unsuspecting Death Eater who was standing behind him. Over and over again, Hermione threw the killing curse at anything she could find._

" _That's enough!" Voldemort screeched, but Hermione threw a Confringo spell at him, making him fly through the stone walls, his form not moving. All of a sudden she felt pain, the Crucio curse piercing her skin and nerves with agony beyond imagination. She endured the torture, fighting against it and looking at her attacker with burning, determined caramel eyes._

 _All of a sudden she heard the screams of Ron and Harry, not too far from where she was. "Harry, Ron!" she yelled through the agony of the Cruciatus curse. Their screams filled her entire being, working their way into her very soul. The screams became more pronounced, more desperate._

" _HARRY! RON! NOOOOOOOOO!_

 _HARRY!_

 _ROOOON!"_

Hermione opened her eyes, her last scream for her best friends still echoing throughout her mind. She burst into tears, her silent sobs wracking her entire being. Her body screamed with pain, her arm still twisted at an odd angle.

" _No,"_ she cried brokenly. She took deep breaths, attempting to block out the pain with her mind. She needed to focus.

The pain took its time to subside, and Hermione finally took in the rest of her surroundings. Taking a deep breath, she stared in front of her, examining the rustic metal bars that caged her in this tight, filthy space. Even though it was dark, Hermione could still make out the indent of a door. She looked more closely at the bars through her water-rimmed eyes, noticing that they were poorly maintained and wondered if she would be able to at least kick it enough to make the weak spots falter, giving her room to slide through.

Flinching at the thought of the pain she would endure by just moving Hermione looked to her left, noticing something on the other side of the bars. Her teary eyes scrunched up as she braced herself to move towards the object. It looked like hair, tousled and dark, and was illuminated from the moonlight that shined through the little window above. Dragging herself to where the object lay, Hermione held on to the metal bars for support and froze.

Dark tousled hair, glasses askew, and glassy green eyes staring at the ceiling, Harry Potter lay as cold as the ground she woke up on. As she looked closer, she noticed that his ribcage was peeking out, rats happily feasting on the plentiful flesh in front of them. His wand laid beside him, broken, the phoenix feather limp with his own blood. The sound of his scream echoed throughout Hermione's mind and her mouth created a strangled sound, her eyes horrified at the gruesome scene that was her best friend.

" _No,_ Hermione sobbed, her voice breaking as more tears flowed down her face. " _No. No Harry, Harry please no!"_

She reached through the bars, grabbing for his hand all while begging for this not to be true. Before her hand could reach Harry's, Hermione noticed something staining her fingers. Bringing her hand back through the bars, she examined what looked like a red, sticky substance that lined her palm and the bottoms of her fingers.

" _What the hell is this?"_ she whispered to herself. The redness was wet, almost as if she had just at that moment touched it.

Eyebrows furrowed, Hermione looked behind at the spot where she had woken up, a large puddle of blood pooling around the outline of where her body had laid. Hermione knew that blood wasn't hers. The injuries she sustained were mostly from dark spells.

" _No…"_ Hermione said, whipping her head back to Harry's corpse to look for any traces of blood that may have trickled into her cell. From what she could see, all of Harry's blood was surrounding his own body, his life force completely seeped into the dirt around him.

She knew the blood had to be coming from somewhere. She looked back to the pool, noticing how the trickle lines led from the pointed crevices of the stone wall. Slowly following the trail of blood up the wall, Hermione's heart stopped at the sight before her.

Ron Weasley was lying on the ceiling, as if a spell had glued him flat. His body looked like it had been ripped open, the blood clotting every piece of his clothing making it hard to decipher cloth from skin. His face was formed into a mocking smile, the one you would see on an evil clown in a horror movie. A few of his teeth were missing, and his eyes looked white as if there was a clear, transparent film covering them.

Before Hermione had time to react Ron's head slowly detached from his body, falling from the ceiling and landing in front of Hermione. The cut looked like a spell had hit him almost cleanly through the neck. The only thing that was keeping it attached was a flab of skin, looking as if it had been a part of Ron's neck at some point. Hermione let out a broken shriek, the sound bouncing off the walls of her cell. She didn't care if anyone had heard her. She could only sob at the sight of the man she loved and her best friend mutilated by the one… _thing_ that aspired to rule over the Wizarding World.

Hermione crawled over to Ron's detached head, gently caressing his once beautiful red hair that was now matted with sweat, grime and blood.

" _I'm sorry,"_ she sobbed. _"I'm so sorry Ron, I should've been there. I should've protected you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"_

Hermione's sobs got more desperate and sincere with every apology she gave to her love, praying that he would somehow forgive her for failing to protect him. Him and Harry.

Just then shouts could be heard from above, breaking into the sound of Hermione's cries. Hermione's head whipped up, her senses on high alert. She could hear the sound of footsteps running, the bang of a door being violently swung open…

They were coming for her. Hermione turned back to Ron's head. She needed to get out of here.

" _I love you, I love you so much. I'm sorry!"_ Hermione sobbed. She stroked Ron's hair one last time and gave Harry's broken body one last loving, apologetic look before throwing herself across the cell towards the bars that separated her from her freedom. She knew from her inspection earlier that the bars were weak. Despite the darkness, her hands flew over the rustic metal, searching for any key weak spot.

Pushing against the metal she heard it groan, and Hermione wasted no time in attempting to kick it through. The metal groaned even more, but it didn't give way.

" _Come on!"_ Hermione whispered desperately as the sound of footsteps could be heard flying down a flight of stairs.

Switching to a sitting position, Hermione placed her two arms behind her and lifted her weight as she kicked the metal at a harsher strength. The sounds of shouts and orders could almost clearly be heard and Hermione's head whipped towards it, kicking the metal at a more desperate pace.

" _Come on! Come ON!"_ she yelled, finally hearing the deafening creak of metal as it gave way under her harsh kicks.

" _Yes, thank you!"_ she yelled, working her way through the small space that the broken metal provided. As she was halfway through, the Death Eaters rounded the corner to the hallway in which she was being held and saw Hermione hanging half way through the bars.

" _GET HER!"_ a cold voice commanded.

Hermione crawled the rest of the way out of the cell, running off in the opposite direction the Death Eaters were coming from. She knew that voice. There was only one… _thing_ that could ever pierce the atmosphere in such a cold and suffocating manner. _HE_ was here. And he was coming for her.

Hermione ran as fast as she could, ignoring the pain shooting throughout her whole body. A flash of red light collided brutally with the wall that was mere inches from her head. The explosion caused her to yelp as the deafening boom caused a severe pain to erupt in her left ear. Stumbling, Hermione looked behind her to find the Death Eaters gaining on her with every passing second.

" _Oh, Mudblood. The game has just started and you're already breaking the rules! Tsk, tsk. You'll have to be punished for that!"_ Hermione could hear Bellatrix's high-pitched, sadistic cackle as another red light came zooming towards her. Turning a sharp corner, Hermione missed the spell by a hair.

" _Come on Hermione! Keep going, you have to keep going!"_ Hermione thought to herself. " _There has to be a way out of here. There HAS to be. Merlin wouldn't be so cruel to me."_

Hermione's prayers were answered as she came across what looked like a sealed off storage room. Pulling on the handle, she found it wouldn't budge. Hearing Bellatrix and the others coming closer, she pulled desperately at the handle. This could be her last chance at escape. If she missed it and ran down the hall some more, she could face a dead end… and the end of her life.

Making one last desperate pull, the door screeched open and Hermione wasted no time in slipping through and shutting it tight behind her. Blindly grabbing what she could find with her hands she began piling up crates, chairs and anything solid that could block whatever was on the other side from coming in.

Hearing her captors on the other side halt upon not spotting their escapee, Hermione knew she had about ten seconds before one of them thought to check this room. Whirling around, Hermione's eyes flew over every aspect and corner of the stale, dusty space. She had been right – this was a storage room. Boxes of knickknacks and other items were piled against the walls, a slight sliver of light coming from underneath the door the only thing illuminating them.

Straining her eyes, Hermione spotted what looked like a small fireplace, cobwebs and dust almost entirely covering its entrance. Hermione hurried over to it, quickly wiping what seemed like ten pounds of cobwebs that were obstructing her view. Spiders scurried everywhere, agitated that their home had been destroyed. Hermione ignored them, feeling the back of the fireplace for any type of notch or lever that would open to some type of a door.

" _There has to be something here. Voldemort and his followers would need some form of escape if shit hit the fan while they were down here. Come on, there has to be something,"_ Hermione thought.

Hermione's breath hitched in her throat as her hand came upon contact with a little stubby lever sticking out of the fireplace's chimney. Reaching her arm further up, she pulled the lever down, almost jumping with joy at the sight of the ominous stone sliding sideways, gaining her entrance to a black unknown.

BANG.

Hermione's head whipped to the side, watching in horror as the door she had boarded up with crates and chairs was slowly giving way to the severe force it was being subjected to. Reaching up again to grab the knob, Hermione yanked as hard as she could, breaking the knob off of its tiny hinges and bolting through the entrance before it shut favorably behind her. Hermione turned just in time to see wood splinters and dust filling the entire room from the force of the spell used to completely annihilate the door. Some of the dust made its way through the entranceway, engulfing her lungs in the suffocating cloud.

Hermione coughed violently, sighing with relief at the lever she held in her hand.

" _They'll never get in here. I've got this,"_ she thought. Spotting a loose stone in the walls of the cramped passage, Hermione worked to remove it, placing the broken lever into the space the stone provided and shoved the stone back in.

Sighing with relief, Hermione began crawling her way through the dark and damp passage. She didn't know where she was, it was dark, and she had no wand.

" _Get a grip, Hermione. You've survived this long,"_ Hermione thought. She flinched as the crawling put weight on her bad arm.

Feeling her way around corners, she followed her sense of touch until she finally saw a sliver of light just ahead of her.

" _Hun – gry."_

Hermione froze at the voice. No, it wasn't a voice. It couldn't be. No one would be in here. She waited a few more seconds before slowly continuing towards what looked like a circular gate, all while listening intently for the voice again.

Hermione was almost to the gate when a loud screeching sound pierced her ears, echoing off of the walls of the small route. The sound resembled that of the zombies she used to watch on television whenever she was home on holidays. Using the light from the exit ahead, Hermione slowly turned her head and watched in horror as what appeared to be a girl her age staring menacingly at her from the other end of the passageway.

The girl had pale, almost scaly skin, her dark hair a matted damp nest and her eyes a blue film, the pupils glowing slightly.

" _No..."_ Hermione whispered. " _It can't be…"_

" _An Inferius,"_ Hermione thought.

Just then, the Inferius screeched a loud piercing scream, bolting for her.

" _SHIT!"_ Hermione yelled, crawling for her life towards the circular gate that would separate her from the nightmare that was gaining on her. Pushing the gate out of her way and jumping out, Hermione forcefully pushed the gate back on its hinges, pushing it more inwards just in time as the Inferius slammed against it, reaching for her through the spaces.

Instinctively backing up, Hermione felt that the ground behind her was coming to an end and turned to see a small waterway running down a long cave-like passage. Turning her head to see the Inferius still reaching for her but not getting to her anytime soon, Hermione began edging her way along the little concrete path that lined the waterway, watching her feet and all the while keeping an eye on the still screeching creature.

" _How did that thing get to where I was?"_ Hermione wondered, her brain kicking into logic mode. A place where she was… there would most likely only be two entrances. The one she came from, and the one she exited from.

" _The one I exited from…"_ Hermione whispered to herself. Hands braced against the wall, she looked sideways at the circular gates that spaciously lined the walls. There, not twenty feet from her was a gate that was wide open.

Suddenly, silence filled the air and Hermione whipped her head around. The gate she had exited from was Inferius-free.

" _No… it wouldn't…"_ Hermione said.

Without another word, Hermione bolted as fast as she could towards the open gateway just in time to hear the scratching of the Inferius's nails on the other side of the wall clawing against the cold, hard stone. She wasn't going to make it. The gate was too far away and the Inferius was fast. Hermione summoned her magic once more, placing her palm upward and watching as the gate slammed closed. The creature roared with frustration, clawing more adamantly at Hermione as it tried to push its way through the gate's metal spaces.

Hermione edged her way around the roaring creature, sweat making her hair stick to her forehead and the sides of her cheeks. She allowed herself a few seconds to compose herself as she leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. The adrenaline was beginning to leave her system, making her feel like curling up in a ball and going right to sleep.

That thought quickly left her mind though as the Inferius began making an odd noise. Hermione's eyes flew open and watched as the Inferius made a desperate sound, almost like a call….

" _You have GOT to be fucking kidding me,"_ Hermione cursed.

As if on cue, dozens of Inferi began crawling out of the water, their malicious eyes only on her. Hermione jumped back as some started to emerge from the water she was standing by, grabbing at her ankles. She turned around to bolt down the waterway when what seemed like a dozen of them crawled out of the water, blocking her path. She turned around to go back the way she came but found that they were closing in on her at that angle as well. Hermione couldn't believe it, she was cornered.

Backing up against the wall, she placed both her hands against the wet, cold stone and glanced wildly around at the Inferi that were getting closer with every second. Her breaths became uneven, her heart beating what felt like a million miles per minute. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for her inevitable death.

Just then, her whole body began to feel warm and pleasant, every ion of her existence consumed in what felt like complete and utter bliss.

" _This must be what death feels like,"_ Hermione thought. She leaned her head back, preparing herself for what came in the afterlife. She wasn't scared in the slightest, no. She knew that Harry and Ron would be waiting for her, arms wide open. Ginny would smile at her, take her hand and lead her to an eternal peace, where all four of them could be together.

Suddenly in the distance, loud shrieks pierced the idyllic atmosphere that surrounded Hermione. Her eyes flew open to find that the Inferi were being thrown back, a bright golden light burning their flesh wherever it touched.

Hermione looked to her left and saw that a clear escape path was now accessible, taking off without any other incentive. She flew down the side of the waterway all while dodging the painful grasps of the countless monsters that continued to emerge. Hermione was horrified at the number of them. Voldemort had to have killed all of these people in order to create this many of them.

" _No. These aren't people. Not anymore. It's just their physical bodies,"_ Hermione thought to herself. She prayed to Merlin that neither Harry's nor Ron's bodies would come floating out of the depths of these waters.

" _AUGH!"_ Hermione screeched as an Inferi burst out of the water and dug its nails into her calf, successfully breaking skin. She fought to drag her leg back but the Inferi just dug its nails deeper. She turned around and kicked it in the face, watching as it was thrown back into the water from the blunt force. Still sprinting down the cave, Hermione saw a rusting ladder-type contraction up above. If she gained enough momentum, she could jump and grab on to the last ring… but if she missed… she was Inferi food.

Looking back at the horrible monsters gaining on her, Hermione took a deep breath and ran faster, jumping at the end of the waterway and grabbing onto the rusting ladder. Using all of the strength she could muster, Hermione pulled herself up enough to get her feet up on the last ring. Looking down, she noticed that the Inferi were attempting to climb up the stone wall, almost succeeding with the amount of them piling on top of each other. Turning back, she began to climb the ladder.

" _Please don't break. Please don't break. Please, please, PLEASE don't break,"_ Hermione prayed as she slowly made her way up the long, groaning ladder.

SNAP.

The ring that Hermione's foot was on gave way under her weight and caused Hermione to fall halfway down the ladder. She screamed, frantically grabbing for the ladder once more, her hand finding the ring just in time before she fell into the pile of Inferi that were still attempting to get to her.

Sighing in momentary relief, she placed her forehead against the cold metal, thanking Merlin for not allowing her to fall. Taking one more deep breath, Hermione climbed the ladder once more, cautious of the now vacant space the broken ring had left.

Finally reaching the top, Hermione pulled herself up on the ledge and looked down to see the Inferi still trying to claw their way up to her.

" _It's okay now, Hermione. You're okay now,"_ she said out loud this time, reassuring herself that she was _alive._ She flinched as she attempted to stand. The wound in her calf was deep and very, very painful.

Not up for any more surprises, Hermione managed to stand up and take in her surroundings. It looked like a small stone hallway, another ladder sitting ominously at the end of it. At the top of the ladder sat a metal covering, daylight streaming into the dark space through the cracks.

Not thinking twice, Hermione climbed up the short way to the metal covering, testing it as she slowly moved it aside. She had to be careful. If this led to the outdoors, Voldemort would most likely have a welcoming party of his followers waiting outside just for her. Moving the metal covering around stealthily and peeping through the opening it provided, Hermione saw that the opening was completely covered by shrubbery. It opened up to a garden, a beautiful one at that too. But still… someone could be hiding behind those hedges.

Hermione's paranoia paid off as just as she was about to completely push aside the metal covering, a rustling from one of the hedges caused her to freeze. Out stepped Bellatrix Lestrange, her black beady eyes searching every aspect of the garden, her ears listening intently for any sounds of movement. Hermione placed her hand on the grass, preparing to lift herself out and make a run for it if she needed to.

A flashback gave Hermione the image of Bellatrix holding the Crucio curse on her while her best friends were being killed. Fury erupting inside of her, Hermione's form began glowing a soft golden light, the feeling of bliss taking over once more. Like an electrical current, the light zoomed across the ground towards the dark witch, throwing her half way across the garden. Hermione took this as her opportunity and sprinted off, Bellatrix calling out to her comrades at the foot of the garden.

Hermione ran through the abundance of flowers, never looking back at the Death Eaters who were chasing after her. Breaking through the trees of the forest she sprinted harder, the feeling of freedom crashing down on her. Just as she was about to bask in her luck, a hard body tackled her to the ground. Instinctively, Hermione fought to throw it off of herself, a large grunt being heard as the aim of her punch met its mark.

Hermione whipped her head around, her burning hazel eyes meeting fierce black ones. Fenrir Greyback stared at her malevolently, his pupils dilating to the point where his eyes looked fully black. He crouched on the ground, the bones in his hands moving and twisting, creating a crunching sound that Hermione strained not to flinch at. She knew Fenrir was the only werewolf in the world that was able to turn at will, and she knew all too well his preference for biting children. Fenrir's sharp teeth grew and he let out a snarl capable of making any child die of fright, and that snarl… was directed at her.

Still kneeling on the ground Hermione slowly backed up, attempting to put space between her and the monster in front of her. Her hand came upon what felt like a sharp rock and Hermione suddenly had an idea. She remembered Remus's story about how he had become a werewolf. Fenrir had bitten him in revenge against his father who had insulted the werewolf breed. That was his weakness.

His pride.

Hermione's eyes glowed with just as much malice as the werewolf's, her eyes never leaving his. She knew that she wasn't going to make it out alive if she did nothing but run. She would either have to kill or be killed. A lone tear escaped before addressing the monster in front of her.

" _Look at you, you disgusting filthy mutt. You will never amount to what you aspire to be, not if I can help it. You deserve nothing less than death,"_ Hermione taunted, quoting Remus's father's words.

Fenrir roared, his eyes burning with fury before coiling up and lunging for her. Hermione took this as her chance. Just as Fenrir was about to sink his teeth into her neck, she darted to the side and plunged the sharp rock into Fenrir's flesh. He yelped and rolled to Hermione's right, the impact of his lunge making him collide with a tree. Hermione sprinted off into the forest, the sharp rock, now stained with Fenrir's blood, still clutched tightly in her hand.

She could hear the sounds of his labored breathing behind her. The wound she gave him was not enough to slow him down, but it was enough to distract him. She was changing the game play, and they were now playing by _her_ rules.

Hermione suddenly stopped, coming upon a small assemblage of what looked like boulders. She darted in the cover the cold, hard stone provided and climbed in between a crevice that gave her perfect access to anyone who burst out of the trees. It didn't take long for Fenrir to burst through the thick brush, his black eyes searching wildly for Hermione. She could see the long gash on his chest that her rock had made, and she noticed his labored and uneven breathing. Her wound had actually slowed him down. She could use it to her advantage.

Hermione crouched down between the rocks even more, her eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the small cave-like structure the boulders created. Anyone who could see her now would describe her as a lioness about to catch her prey.

" _Come on, just a little more,"_ Hermione thought. Two more steps and Fenrir was hers.

One step. His head swiveled to the right towards the boulders.

Two steps. His head swiveled to the left, and now at Hermione's complete mercy.

Now was her chance. She crouched down, gaining momentum as she sprung out from between the crevice, jumping on Fenrir's back and wasting no time in slashing his throat with the sharp edge of her rock. To make sure she finished him off Hermione plunged the rock right where his spinal cord lay, using all of her strength to drag it down the middle of his back, successfully hearing him scream in pain as the rock split skin and bone with every inch it advanced. The bone crunching was the only indicator she was hitting her target.

" _There she is!"_ she heard someone yell. Hermione's tear-filled eyes flew towards Bellatrix who had emerged from the trees along with Mulciber, Avery, and Lucius Malfoy. Bellatrix's eyes widened at the sight of Hermione's rock lodged deep within Fenrir's spine. Hermione pulled the rock out violently and dashed off again into the trees.

" _AFTER HER!"_ a cold voice commanded. Voldemort was here? Hermione was a little confused. Voldemort almost never joined his Death Eaters on a man hunt.

Mulciber and Avery darted after her, their speed almost matching hers. Avery came up on her left, shooting a jet of red light her way which Hermione twisted to miss.

" _Please stop, I don't want to hurt you,"_ Hermione prayed. However, Avery's relentless spells caused Hermione to shut her eyes at what she had to do.

Making a sharp left turn she attacked Avery, plunging the sharp rock right where his carotid artery would be. Avery screamed, his voice eventually drowned out by the blood spilling from his mouth. Hermione's tears streamed down her face.

" _I'm sorry, I prayed. I really did,"_ she thought.

Suddenly, a stinging pain erupted across her side and Hermione screamed as a spell slashed deep into her tissue. Whirling around, she encountered the smirking face of Mulciber.

" _Tonight, you feel what pain really is, Mudblood,"_ he said, his yellow teeth glinting in the moonlight.

Hermione imperceptibly glanced to her left, spotting a patch of thick vines that would serve as perfect cover. Her eyes snapped back to Mulciber. Just as he was about to throw a spell at her, she rushed towards the thick brush, successfully submerging herself into its dark cover.

" _Get back here, bitch!"_ Mulciber yelled as she heard his footsteps running behind her. He was gaining with every passing second, and Hermione knew that she would surely not survive at the mercy of this nasty Death Eater. 

She stopped, her labored breathing the only sound she made. Blindly breaking off a thick branch, Hermione watched as Mulciber's form creeped through the underbrush, not aware of the crying girl not two feet away from him. Hermione jumped on his back, wrapping the vine around his neck and pulled with all her might. Mulciber let out a strangled cry.

" _Mulciber!"_ she heard one of the Death Eaters call.

She was almost finished when a jet of light threw her off of Mulciber, making her strike violently with a tree trunk. Hermione looked up at Mulciber's gasping face and darted again towards him, grabbing his head into a headlock.

The Death Eater who threw her off of him growled and stepped forward, but Hermione wasn't having that.

" _Stop! One more step and he'll end up like his little friend back there,"_ Hermione threatened.

Voldemort stepped through the vines, his eyes gleaming with interest and amusement at the girl in front him.

" _Do it. Kill him. You don't have the guts to –"_

Hermione never let him finish. She grabbed Mulciber's neck and violently snapped it, letting his lifeless body fall to the ground at her feet. Voldemort looked shocked, staring from Mulciber to Hermione. Once again, Hermione took off. This time, she had every single Death Eater chasing after her. A jet of green light missed her head by a hair, colliding instead with an array of plants.

" _NO! I want her ALIVE!"_

She could hear Voldemort's order ringing throughout the entire forest. She looked above her head to see a dark mist racing in and out of the branches, cold red eyes searching every aspect of the thick brush. Hermione ran harder, faster. Her legs carrying her at a speed she never knew she possessed. All the while jets of red and orange light all made their way towards her, never hitting their target.

Once again Hermione was tackled to the ground, this time her eyes finding black curly hair and a sadistic smile staring down at her.

" _You're dead, Mudblood,"_ Bellatrix fumed as her hands went around Hermione's neck. Hermione grasped at the hands cutting off her oxygen, blindly grabbing the chain around Bella's neck in an attempt to push her away, ripping it off. Knowing her weak abilities in wandless magic, Hermione coughed as she watched with sheer hope as a successful Confringo spell blasted Bella about twenty feet into the air.

Gasping for air, Hermione glanced down at the chain in her hands and almost gasped with disbelief.

" _The time turner? What the hell was Bellatrix Lestrange doing with this?"_ she thought. Hearing the shouts of the Death Eaters close by, she placed the chain around her neck and allowed it to fall between her breasts. She needed to get out of here, but she didn't know how. There were Death Eaters everywhere and Voldemort himself was flying like a little fairy over the forest searching for her.

" _She's right there! Over there!"_

Hermione looked up and saw that Death Eaters were coming at her in all directions. She bolted up to her feet and panicked. She was going to get caught. There was no doubt about it. There was only one option, and she didn't know whether or not she'd survive it doing it wandlessly.

A camping ground area she used to go to when she was little popped into her mind. Her dad would take her onto the natural park bridge where she could look out at the entire landscape. Hermione thought hard about that bridge and wandlessly apparated away. Half way through the violent spinning and bending of time and space did she remember that the bridge had collapsed after an earthquake about seven years ago. Hermione appeared where the bridge should have been but instead met air as she plummeted towards the ground.

Hermione screamed, watching as a muggle car sped right where she was supposed to land. Gravity pulled her down at an alarmingly fast rate, Hermione squeezing her eyes as her body came into violent contact with the windshield of the car. The muggle driver swerved sharply to the left throwing Hermione's broken, almost lifeless body off of the windshield and onto the gravel of the road.

Almost distantly Hermione could hear the screeching of tires, the crash of metal meeting tree. Her eyes fluttered partially open to see the muggle car twisted and bent into an almost unrecognizable shape. Blood smeared the windshield where she had landed, glass littering the areas around where she lay. The muggle woman inside wasn't moving.

" _I'm so sorry,"_ she thought. Her mistakes now had cost the lives of four people. That muggle woman would still be alive if she hadn't apparated to that stupid bridge that didn't exist.

Out of the corner of her eye, a soft golden glow emanated from the pendant that lay next to her breasts. Her time turner had broken with her impact with the windshield, the sand circling around her broken body, creating a whirlwind of hot air that pressed hard against her chest. She felt like she couldn't breathe, gasping as the hot piercing air soon turned into pain that spread through every nerve she possessed. She glanced at her fingers which were fading in and out, a tear escaping her eye as the pain overcame her and she disappeared completely.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Flashes of green light._

" _GINNY! NO!"_

 _Black eyes, bones crunching._

 _Red eyes, blood spilling._

" _Let's focus on you, my little Gryffindor."_

" _You're dead, Mudblood."_

" _I WANT HER ALIVE!"_

 _Crash!_

 _Tires squealing._

 _A woman screaming._

" _Hermione, stop."_

Hermione snapped open her eyes, her hazel orbs darting all around her at the beautiful grass field in which she was standing in.

" _Hermione."_

That voice… she would know it anywhere. She whipped her head around, her eyes falling onto Ron standing not two feet away from her. She gasped, running forward and throwing herself into his arms.

" _Ron,"_ she sobbed, desperately clinging to him as if he'd disappear at any moment. " _I thought I lost you forever."_

" _You'll never lose me. I will always be with you, no matter what,"_ Ron said softly into her hair, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist.

Hermione pulled back, taking his face in both of her hands. " _I missed you so much. When I saw your body in that cell –"_ Hermione started to say, but Ron put a finger over her lips.

" _Shhh. I don't want you to think about that. Look at me now, remember me like this. You have a lot of work to do. I don't want you living in the past,"_ Ron said, his eyes softening with sadness.

Why was he sad? No. No, no, no. She didn't want him to be sad. Then the words he had just spoken hit her.

" _Work to do? What are you talking about?"_ she asked, confusion playing on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his. " _I want to stay here with you."_

" _I wish you could,"_ he whispered longingly. He slightly pulled away, staring deeply into her eyes. " _But you don't belong here. I'm dead, you're not."_

" _If this is what death is then I don't mind it,"_ Hermione said, lovingly staring at every aspect of Ron's face.

" _Don't say that, Mione. You've got your whole life ahead of you,"_ he said gently.

" _Fighting in a war that I am losing is no life at all,"_ Hermione said firmly, tears threatening to spill.

" _You don't see it, do you?"_

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. " _See what?"_

" _How beautiful you are. How INTELLIGENT and caring you are,"_ Ron said softly, admiration and love filling every depth of his eyes. " _If I had to think of one thing that you were losing, it wouldn't be the war."_

" _What would it be then?"_ Hermione asked, her eyes staring deeply into his, the sadness seeping back into them.

" _Yourself,"_ he said. Hermione stared at him in disbelief and shock.

" _You've got a huge heart, Hermione. Your kindness shines through like a blinding aura. I was drawn to it the very first time we met, on that train remember?"_ Hermione nodded, her face scrunching up as tears fell from her eyes.

" _I see you hurting, and I know my not being there encourages the darkness growing inside of you, but I need you to understand something. Are you listening?"_ Hermione nodded, sobs racking her body. Ron placed a hand on her cheek.

" _No matter how much darkness I witness growing inside you, you possess the one thing Voldemort has never had or experienced in his entire life. Love, Hermione. You've given so much out in your lifetime, I've felt it all myself,"_ Ron said lovingly.

" _THAT is what makes you different from him. You need to use it to your advantage. He believes that love is weak and he'll try to drive fear into you at any cost. Fear is only an emotion and he hides behind it. If you have no fear, he is vulnerable. He is weak."_

" _Why are you telling me all of this?"_ Hermione cried. " _You're acting as if I'm going back to that hell. I died! I-I-I hit a windshield! I should be staying here with you!"_

" _Most people would have died, yes. But you, you're a fighter. You always have been. That's why I need you to wake up now,"_ Ron said. He leaned down and captured Hermione's lips in the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. The kiss ended too soon, Hermione looking up into Ron's face with water-rimmed hazel eyes.

" _Remember that I love you, always and forever. And I know you love me too, but don't let it get in the way of you following your heart. I will always be beside you on whatever you choose,"_ Ron said, leaning down to place his forehead against Hermione's.

" _I love you, Mione. Wake up."_

Hermione fluttered her eyelids open, Ron's last words echoing through her mind as she was pulled away from him and into the dark loneliness of reality. Her whole body screamed in pain. The dark spells and the impact from the windshield left her body broken in many places, her whole left side covered in blood and deep bruises.

Hermione lay there unmoving, tears leaking from her eyes at the realization that her encounter with Ron in the beautiful, sunny grass field was the last time she'd ever see him again. Somehow his words felt like a permanent goodbye, like she would never see or hear from him, not even in her dreams.

" _Ron,"_ her voice cried out brokenly, her heart shattering into a million pieces. She had never felt pain like this before. Her physical injuries became nothing but a mere thought, her heart aching for the red-haired man who had given her so much more than just love. Ron had become such a huge part of her and with his death, a large part of her died too.

" _Most people would have died, yes. But you, you're a fighter. You always have been. That's why I need you to wake up now."_

Ron's words echoed through her mind. He wanted her to wake up, but waking up meant living a life away from him. She couldn't do it, she wouldn't.

" _You've got a lot of work to do. I don't want you living in the past."_

Hermione's brain repeated his words over and over again. " _You've got a lot of work to do,"_ she whispered, pondering what type of work she was supposed to be doing. Voldemort had become too powerful. One girl wouldn't be strong enough to go against him and his followers.

Shutting her eyes tiredly, Hermione allowed a lone tear to escape as she moved to get up from her lying position. She barely felt her injuries over her heartache as she grasped onto a tree for support, pulling herself up to her feet.

Hermione looked around at her surroundings, noticing that she was deep within a dark, misty forest. The fog looming over the forest floor cast an eerie, disturbing atmosphere. It made Hermione feel like this forest was not meant for a young girl to be wandering it alone.

Her hand still holding the tree for support, Hermione turned her head into the opposite direction, surveying every aspect of the deep, thick brush for any sign of life… or similar to life. Not sensing anything unusual at the moment, Hermione sighed, shifting her weight off of the tree all while keeping her senses on high alert.

 _You can't hide._

 _No escape._

 _Death is coming for you._

Whispers floated all throughout the forest, making Hermione freeze in her tracks. She looked to the sky, realizing that the cover of trees prevented her from seeing it. She looked along the entire forest's skyline only to realize that there wasn't one. The branches of the trees completely covered any view of the sky for what seemed like miles.

 _You can't hide._

 _No escape._

 _Death is coming for you._

" _What. The hell. Was that,"_ Hermione thought as the voices echoed throughout the forest once more. They all sounded as if they were speaking at once. The air around her became thinner, making it harder for her to breathe.

A snap of twigs caused Hermione to whip around. Out of the thick fog emerged what looked like a little girl, her long white dress contrasting boldly with her long, beautiful dark hair. The little girl was looking down, her dark hair covering her entire face.

Warning bells sounded in Hermione's brain. There was something off about such a beautiful looking child being in a place like this, acting the way she was.

" _Not human,"_ Hermione thought and automatically took a step back.

" _You can't run,"_ the little girl suddenly whispered. It sounded otherworldly, as if Hermione was listening to it through a layer of glass. Hermione decided to play along.

" _Why can't I run?"_ Hermione questioned softly. The little girl lifted her head, shocking Hermione at her appearance. Her eyes were completely white, almost glowing. As Hermione predicted, she was a beautiful child. Obviously not human but anyone would have given her their full attention. Right now, she had Hermione's.

The little girl tilted her head. " _Because you're hurt. I can smell your blood even without looking at you,"_ she spoke, her voice sounding more normal with every word.

Hermione swallowed. She could smell her blood? Now THAT was unnerving. " _I can smell your fear too. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you,"_ the little girl continued in her monotone voice.

The warning bells rung louder in Hermione's brain. She racked her memory for anything she read on dark creatures. Obviously smelling both blood and fear is not on the "friendly" creature list of any human being, wizard or not.

" _What's your name?"_ Hermione suddenly asked. She didn't know why, but she felt the answer would help her in figuring out what the little girl was.

" _Anna,"_ the little girl answered.

BINGO.

Hermione had had a hunch, but she wasn't sure seeing as how she had never come across one before. "Anna" was a banshee. Banshees were often seen as mythical Irish creatures, fairies particularly, that were seen by muggles as omens of death, which technically wasn't that far off. In the wizarding world, they weren't called banshees, they were called darklings. Instead of just screeching and warning when someone was about to die like muggles believed, banshees were actually the predictors and killers themselves. They would screech when someone was about to die, and then kill the person they predicted, often in a most horrible and gruesome way.

" _A pretty fucked up cycle,"_ Hermione thought.

Anyone who was "predicted" often described the woman as being named "Anna." They were very rare, hunted to almost extinction by wizards almost a thousand years ago and yet here one was, standing right in front of her. That would be just her luck.

" _You look hungry, Anna. I don't suppose you've had anything to eat yet?"_ Hermione questioned, eyes piercing into the creature in front of her. Anna smiled, the smile seeming more sinister than anything.

" _You've figured out what I was. You're a smart girl."_

" _I'm not called the brightest witch of my age for nothing,"_ Hermione answered, her voice matching Anna's monotone.

That sinister, creepy smile stayed on Anna's face. Hermione was becoming unnerved. She would be on Anna's menu soon if she didn't think of something and FAST. She racked her brain, thinking of anything that could kill a darkling. Seeing as how they've been seemingly extinct for a thousand years, there weren't many texts on them.

" _Well I guess I'll be going then, seeing as how you're not going to hurt me and this conversation has turned into a bore,"_ Hermione taunted. She turned to leave when a high-pitched scream pierced the forest's atmosphere. Hermione threw her hands over her ears, desperately trying to keep her eardrums from exploding. She turned her head to see Anna's face lifted towards the sky – or tree – line, her mouth opening beyond a normal person's capacity. Her action gave Hermione a full view of her throat and the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

" _That's it!"_ Hermione thought. In order to… disable a darkling, you have to pierce its voice box. Without its scream, it's powerless and unable to eat. Using the momentary distraction, Hermione found a sharp rock and slipped it underneath her night dress, summoning her magic to keep it from falling out.

The darkling's head whipped down, sensing the presence of magic Hermione guessed. Its face turning to one similar of a demon's, Anna lunged for her, claws outstretched and ready to kill. Hermione dodged her, taking off into the misty forest. She may be injured, but Hermione was fast.

Hopping over stray vines and roots, she raced through the dense forest, Anna almost hot on her heels.

" _Just a little farther,"_ Hermione thought. She turned her head to look at Anna, the demon face letting out a terrifying screech. Unfazed, Hermione pressed on, increasing her speed. Coming across a cave, Hermione sprinted into the dark, moist cover it had to offer. Jumping over a small stream, Hermione hid between a large, sharp rock. Anna came sprinting in, suddenly stopping at the loss of sight of Hermione. She stalked around, those white eyes surveying every single aspect of the cavity.

" _You can't hide,"_ she said. Hermione's eyes widened. The voices in the forest. They were _her._ She'd been "predicted" ever since she landed here.

Suddenly, Anna appeared above her, the demon face opening wide once more and letting out a piercing screech. The creature jumped on Hermione, knocking her back into a small stream and sinking its teeth into her shoulder.

Hermione screamed in pain, her cries echoing off of the cave walls. Large amounts of blood flowed from the wound, bathing Hermione's body in red at a rapid rate. She fought to throw the darkling off, her vision becoming spotted from the loss of blood.

 _Hermione, fight. Keep fighting._

A voice that sounded like Ron's echoed in her head, and Hermione's resolve amplified.

" _No,"_ Hermione cried. " _I will not die, not like this."_

Suddenly, the darkling started screeching, letting go of Hermione's shoulder. Hermione took the distraction and tackled it, landing in the cave river with a large splash. Anna clawed for her, Hermione holding her head down underneath the water. She could hear the darkling's frightening screams from above the water's surface, the creature fighting and thrashing as Hermione continued to cut off its oxygen supply. Moving her hand to Anna's hair and readying the sharp rock with her other, Hermione lifted Anna's head from the water, wasting no time in piercing the rock into her throat. Anna's demonic appearance returned to normal, blood bubbling from her mouth.

" _You… you…"_ Anna gurgled out. She couldn't speak much seeing as how her voice box was now penetrated.

" _See you in hell, bitch"_ Hermione seethed, ripping the rock out of the darkling's throat not-too-kindly and lodging it into her heart. Anna's beautiful complexion started turning to ash, the darkling disintegrating as she decayed away.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

 _You're a fighter. You always have been._

Hermione sat in the water, tears forming in her eyes as Ron's words came to her mind once again. Was it really him who had spoken to her just now?

She glanced down at the decayed body of the darkling and started sobbing, dropping the rock she had used to kill it with. Her mind was going fuzzy, darkness overcoming her as she collapsed back into the water, her wound still bleeding profusely.

" _No, get up Hermione. Get up,"_ she told herself, leaning on a nearby boulder for support.

She shakily stood up, slowly making her way to the exit of the cave. She looked out upon the forest and noted that the night sky was now visible, the atmosphere still creepy, but less oppressing.

" _That darkling probably created an illusion,"_ Hermione thought. Breathing heavily, she limped over to a tree, putting her weight upon it as she turned her head to inspect her shoulder. The bite was deep, probably cut into the muscle too. The gash in her side wasn't looking too promising either. Hermione could see it had already started to become infected.

What was she supposed to do? She needed a mediwitch but all the hospitals around were run by Voldemort. He would be notified if his precious escaped Mudblood showed up at their door. No, that was out of the question. She at least needed a safe place to rest. This forest was dangerous and Hermione couldn't fight anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione thought of Knockturn Alley. She remembered a small, private path when she, Harry and Ron had followed Malfoy to Borgin and Burke's their sixth year. It was out of the way and even the alley's dwellers seemed to avoid it. Knockturn Alley wasn't the cleanest of them all, but Hermione doubted Voldemort would have any Death Eaters stationed there. It was her best shot.

Apparating to the path, Hermione leaned against the wall. Her breaths came out ragged and short. Apparating while weak was very dangerous and consumed a lot of her energy. Throwing out an injured arm to support herself, Hermione made her way deeper into the alley until she came across a small vacated corner. She slid down the wall, her eyes feeling heavy.

Dark circles were forming underneath her eyes, her skin looking pale and ghostly from the blood loss. Hermione wanted to sleep, that's all she wanted to do. She wanted to close her eyes and see Ron again, smiling at her, welcoming her into his arms. She nodded off, her consciousness drifting in and out.

 _Wake up._

Ron's voice drifted into her head and she opened her eyes, refusing to fall asleep. She was going to make it, she was going to survive. If not for herself, for Ron.

She was so tired though. Her wand had been lost and she couldn't perform any healing spells without it. Hermione lifted her heavy eyelids and her hazel eyes met blue ones. She startled, cursing herself for not being more aware of her surroundings.

" _Shhh. It's alright, my dear. I'm not going to hurt you,"_ the man with the blue eyes said, holding his hands up. He looked her up and down, not in a perverted way but in an attempt to study her injuries. He was shocked at the amount of damage this girl's body had gone through.

The man stepped into the moonlight, causing Hermione to get a good view of his face. She narrowed her eyes. This man looked familiar but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. He held out his arms to her.

" _Come here, my dear. Let's get you patched up, and something to eat while we're at it,"_ he stated, noticing that the girl was severely malnourished. He watched as the girl appraised him for a moment then took his arms, allowing him to help her to her feet. Wrapping an arm around her waist in a fatherly gesture, he led her towards his shop.

Hermione leaned against the nice man. The mention of food had her salivating. She couldn't remember the last time she had a hot meal. The man steered her out of Knockturn Alley, leading her to a side door just off of Diagon Alley. He went inside, bringing Hermione with him and placed her on a soft couch.

Hermione looked around. There were wands EVERYWHERE. Stacks and stacks of them lined the walls and Hermione could see shelving in the distance, probably stacked with even more. Her location suddenly dawned on her and her eyes snapped to Garrick Ollivander, wand maker and shop owner of Ollivander's Wands. But something was off. Mr. Ollivander looked… younger.

She was just about to greet him when he spoke up. " _I've got some food cooking for you. Roast beef and potatoes. I hope it's alright, you seem severely malnourished. I figured some starch would fatten you up a bit."_ He then grabbed his wand and pointed it at her, performing an imperceptible incantation. Hermione stiffened but relaxed once she felt the calming effects of the healing spell spread through her body. Mr. Ollivander stopped and furrowed his eyebrows.

" _I'm afraid this is far out of my reach, dear. I'm not really good at healing spells, it's just not my specialty. I apologize profusely,"_ he said, his eyes saddening.

" _No, it's alright. It helped a little,"_ she consoled him. " _If you have any type of cloth I could use to wrap these wounds?"_ she asked hopefully.

" _Now that I have,"_ he smiled, rummaging through a drawer until finding the little white roll of gauze. He pulled it apart, preparing to wrap it around Hermione's shoulder when she held out her hand.

" _It's quite alright, sir. I can wrap it myself,"_ she said.

" _Are you certain, miss? Your wounds are pretty severe…"_

" _I'm certain,"_ she told him, giving him a small smile. " _Thank you, though."_

Mr. Ollivander smiled and handed her the wrap. He went off to check on the food and Hermione's smile slipped off of her face. She looked around the room, looking for anything that could explain what was going on. Unless Mr. Ollivander had a son that was a spitting image of him, Hermione couldn't explain why he looked so young.

Her eyes fell upon a newspaper lying in the array of wands. She reached over and picked it up, her eyes falling onto the main headline.

 _ **GRINDELWALD MOVES FORCES TOWARDS LONDON**_

" _Grindelwald?"_ Hermione thought. " _As in the dark wizard Grindelwald? That can't be right,"_ Hermione thought. Digging through her memory, Hermione thought back to the books she'd read. Grindelwald was the main dark wizard before Voldemort. And if she remembered correctly, it was Dumbledore who defeated him more than fifty years ago. This didn't make any sense. Hermione flipped over the newspaper to look at the date.

" _The first of August, 19… 1942. 1942?"_ Hermione whispered, looking up from the newspaper as Mr. Ollivander came in with her food. Seeing her shoulder and stomach unwrapped, he looked at her disapprovingly.

" _I left you to tend to your wounds, not to read the newspaper,"_ he scolded softly, a stern fatherly look falling upon his face.

" _Is this the recent newspaper?"_ Hermione asked. She held her breath.

" _As recent as can be. Delivered this morning. Now, enough reading and more wrapping. And eating,"_ he softly ordered, pulling the newspaper from her hands. He walked off into the other room, pouring over his wands. Hermione looked after him shocked. 1942? How is that possible?

Then, the realization dawned on her. Her hands flew to her neck, grabbing for the pendant lying between her breasts. She held up the broken time turner, the glass smashed and the sand no longer in its vile. Hermione sighed exasperatedly. The time turner must have broken with her impact with the windshield. She was stuck in a time period where she wasn't even supposed to be alive. She knew that witches and wizards who messed with time suffered dire consequences. Hell, she probably already changed the timeline. Mr. Ollivander was probably in Knockturn Alley for a reason, but didn't see it through because he spotted her.

" _You've got to be kidding me,"_ she whispered to herself. Checking to see if Mr. Ollivander had heard her or not she grabbed the gauze and started wrapping her wounds. When she was finished, she began eating her food, the hot meal settling favorably in her stomach. She gobbled it up so fast that Mr. Ollivander happily fetched her seconds.

" _Thank you so much, sir. I don't know how I could repay you,"_ Hermione said gratefully.

" _You don't have to worry about it, my dear. A young girl should not be fighting in a war this brutal. My, just look at you! You need to get yourself some medical attention, young lady. That wrap only goes so far,"_ he said.

" _I do know a few healing spells that could help, but my wand was destroyed in battle,"_ Hermione said. It wasn't a complete lie. She was never seeing her wand again.

" _Ah! Now there is something I can help you with!"_ Mr. Ollivander said gleefully.

" _Oh no sir, I haven't any money,"_ she answered sadly.

" _Well then I guess it's good I won't charge you a sickle then,"_ he answered, his eyes twinkling. " _What was your last wand composed of?"_

" _Vine wood and dragon heartstring,"_ she answered. Mr. Ollivander nodded and went to the front of his store. Hermione stood up and followed him, meeting him up by the front table. He came back with about a dozen wands piled up in his arms.

" _Here we go, dragon heartstring cores,"_ he presented. Hermione studied each and every one of them. It seemed like none of them matched her own wand until she came to the very last one. 10 ¾, vine wood, dragon heartstring. Her wand!

Hermione grabbed the box, practically ripping it open. She placed the wood between her fingers but the warm burst of energy that is usually accompanied when she made contact with her wand was missing. There was nothing. No light, no warm energy. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, staring in disbelief at the wood in her hands. How could this be? This was HER wand!

Mr. Ollivander watched in amusement as the girl in front of him displayed shock and confusion. He studied her, appraising the way she held herself, the way she spoke, her personality, her spirit. Yes, he had the perfect wand for her.

" _I think I know the perfect one for you,"_ Mr. Ollivander smiled, turning to go back into the stacks. Hermione looked up at him walking away. What was he on about? This was HER wand! She couldn't believe it! Dejected, she placed the wand back into its package.

Mr. Ollivander came back holding a thin, black box. " _Here we go,"_ he said excitedly, holding the box out for her to take it. " _Eleven inches long, made of holly wood with a phoenix feather core."_

Hermione's head snapped up. Phoenix feather core? No, it couldn't be…

She slowly pulled the box off, revealing the dark colored wand beneath it. Sure enough, there it was. Eleven inches, holly wood, phoenix feather. This, in her hands, was the wand of Harry Potter. A gruesome image flashed in her mind of the phoenix feather lying limp with his blood next to his mutilated body. Hermione took a deep breath and placed the wood between her fingers.

Warmth emanated from the wand's very core, spreading throughout her whole body. A gust of wind filled the shop, blowing about papers and boxes. As soon as it died down, Hermione looked up at Mr. Ollivander with wide eyes. He was looking at her with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

" _You must know, my dear, that the witch or wizard never chooses the wand. The wand chooses them,"_ he said, knowledge filling his eyes as he looked at her over his spectacles.

Hermione looked down at the wand that once belonged to her best friend. The wand chose her. Harry's wand chose her. She looked up at Mr. Ollivander, who was wearing a knowing look on his face.

" _Thank you so much, sir. I don't… I can't even…"_

" _It's alright, sweetheart. You don't have to thank me in the slightest,"_ he said, looking at her proudly. " _Something tells me you have a long journey ahead of you. A long, difficult one at that. I want you to know that if you need anything, anything at all, come straight to me. I'll be happy to be of service. May peace and love come your way my dear. You deserve it."_

Hermione felt tears growing and without thinking, jumped forward and hugged Mr. Ollivander tightly. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around the strong, kind girl. She was destined for great things, great things indeed.

" _Go,"_ he whispered, pulling her back and placing a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. " _And be careful."_

Hermione smiled, touched at his concern. " _Thank you so much, Mr. Ollivander."_

" _It was my pleasure, Hermione,"_ he said, eyes twinkling. Hermione's eyes widened a fraction. He was worse than Dumbledore!

" _How did you –"_ she started, but Mr. Ollivander placed a finger upon his lips.

" _Your secret is safe with me Miss Granger. But be sure to place those Occlumency walls up. You never know who might be looking. Now go,"_ he smiled. Hermione smiled back and walked out of the shop, waving to Mr. Ollivander through the window before starting down the street.

She looked down again at her new wand. Her and Harry's wand. She hugged it to her chest as if Harry was living inside it. She missed him so much. His laugh, his tendency for getting in trouble, and his tendency of bringing her into trouble along with him. Hermione smiled at the memories of all the times Snape had scolded them, or how Professor McGonagall stared at them disapprovingly and proudly at the same time. The wand gave her a newfound strength, one she hadn't felt in a long time.

Her happy memories were short-lived however as Hermione heard screams in the distance. The Gryffindor in her had her sprinting toward the source, her fingers gripping the dark wood of her wand so tightly her knuckles turned white. The illumination of a bright orange light came into view right before she rounded the corner. Flames engulfed houses and shops, the blazes becoming larger as they spread without mercy.

Hermione ducked back around the corner when she noticed about a dozen men dressed in immaculate black cloaks marching down the street. Their faces were half covered in dark, steel-like masks deeming it impossible to make out their features.

" _These must be Grindelwald's men,"_ Hermione thought. Voldemort's followers assembled in a similar way; all proper, all immaculately dressed… and all pureblood.

A man stepped to the front from within the heart of the crowd of dark-cloaked men. His robes looked to be made of the finest fabric, faint gold lines etched within the seams at the neck and all down his torso. His dark hair was slightly swept back, framing a young, handsome face that held symmetrical features and dark, golden eyes.

" _Grindelwald,"_ Hermione breathed. His head turned to the men.

" _Bring him to me. Bring his family too. He will feel what pain is tonight,"_ his cold voice ringing authoritatively across the group of dark cloaks. Hermione saw two men dart into a building that the fire hadn't reached yet. A woman's scream could be heard throughout the house, accompanied with a man's yell. Hermione's eyes darted to Grindelwald, noticing his golden eyes had turned almost black, his face twisting into some sort of sick pleasure.

" _Stop! STOP! Let me go!"_ a woman yelled, causing Hermione's eyes to dart back to the building. A beautiful blond-haired woman was struggling against the men's tight holds onto her arms. Hermione almost darted out of her hiding space, yearning to help the woman, but something was telling her to stay put. 

" _Nadia!"_ a man yelled as he too was pulled from the house. " _Grindelwald I beg you! Leave her be! It is me you want, not her!"_

Grindelwald stared dangerously down at the man pleading for his wife's life. " _You know the consequences of betrayal. You gave information to the Order. Tell me why, or her pretty little head will be lying ten feet from her carcass,"_ he threatened, grabbing a fistful of Nadia's hair and yanking her head back, exposing her throat. Nadia yelled in pain, the point of Grindelwald's wand digging painfully into her neck.

Hermione growled, ready to dart again but something in her mind told her she had to stay. She looked across the street, spotting a small alley next to their house that would have better access to the scene in front of her. Hermione crawled among the ruins, hiding behind a large clump of brick that had been broken off from the fire. It was still aflame, which made perfect cover.

" _Kote! Don't speak,"_ Nadia pleaded with her husband, her eyes begging him to be silent. Grindelwald spun her around, striking her across the cheek.

" _TELL ME, KOTE! NOW, OR SHE DIES!"_

Just then, Kote and Nadia's home began to crackle with the flames, Hermione feeling the heat seeping through the brick. Nadia heard it too, whipping her head around, her eyes frantic. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, her mind going into overdrive.

This woman wouldn't be concerned enough about her home being burned down above the situation she's in now. There's only one reason she would look so frantic and desperate. Hermione widened her eyes in realization.

" _She has a child,"_ Hermione thought. " _Her child will burn regardless of whether or not Grindelwald finds out she even has one."_

Hermione now knew what she had to do. She ran to the back of the structure, noticing how the flames had almost completely engulfed the building at this point. She had to get in, and fast.

Bringing her elbow up, Hermione smashed the glass and climbed into the house, the broken glass shards slicing her skin as she made her way through the opening. Not paying her new wounds much attention, she raced across the living room towards the stairs. The whole bottom floor was illuminated with bright, orange flames, smoke filling Hermione's lungs. She coughed violently, throwing her arm over her mouth and nose.

" _Watch out!"_ a voice in her head yelled, and Hermione looked up just in time to find the burning ceiling collapsing right on the spot she was standing on. She dove out of the way, the flames brushing her skin. Glancing back at the ceiling that almost crushed her, Hermione once again started bolting to the stairs.

Just as she was about to ascend them, a faint cry pierced her ears. Her heart lurched and she took the steps two at a time, following the sound of the cry until she reached the nursery. Flames had consumed most of the furniture, the fire at the foot of the cradle, edging closer to the baby with every passing second.

Hermione ran across the room to find a beautiful baby boy with blond hair and blue eyes, just like his mother. He couldn't have been more than five or six months old. His eyes filled with tears at the frightening flames edging closer to him.

" _Shhh, it's alright now. Shhh,"_ Hermione cooed as she picked up the little angel. She tucked the blanket more securely around his tiny body and headed for the exit.

Just as she stepped out of the room, a large groan echoed around her.

" _Oh no,"_ Hermione muttered, looking up at the ceiling that was giving way above them.

She clutched the little boy protectively against her chest and dived out of the way just in time, the ceiling falling with a loud crash. Hermione wasted no time in flying down the stairs and climbing through the broken window, careful to not let the glass touch the baby.

Hermione's feet landed on the ground and she spun around, holding the wailing baby against her as she looked up at the burning house. Backing away, she turned her attention to the little crying boy.

" _Shhhh, it's alright now. I'm here, I'm here. Shhhh,"_ Hermione cooed, rocking his tiny body in a rhythmic, soothing motion. The baby's cries softened. 

" _Look at you, so handsome. I'm going to get your mummy and daddy back now but I need you to stay quiet. Can you do that for me?"_ Hermione calmly whispered, surprised that the baby had stopped crying and was staring up at her with those big, blue eyes. Her heart melted.

Making her way around the building once more, Hermione saw Nadia thrashing against the men's arms, screaming her baby's name.

" _NO! DIMITRI!"_

Hermione took out her wand, silently sending two flashes of green light towards the two men holding Nadia hostage. She watched as both men fell dead, their eyes glassing over. Both Grindelwald and the black cloaks whirled to find the source of the spell. Hermione stepped out, hazel orbs burning with fury and determination. Dimitri lay quiet, his head against her shoulder.

Hermione raised her wand, sending an Imperius curse towards the men that held Dimitri's father. She watched as both men let Kote go, raising their wands at each other and performing the Avada Curse. Both men fell to the ground, dead.

Grindelwald stared at the broken girl in front of him. She looked completely annihilated yet she looked so strong, so infinite. He was intrigued. He took one step towards her, his hand partially outstretched.

Hermione looked to Grindelwald, his hand outstretched towards her. She needed a distraction. These people wouldn't survive long if she stood around like a moron. She pointed her wand at the spot between her and Grindelwald.

" _Bombarda Maxima!"_ she yelled, the explosion causing for many of the dark-cloaked men standing in the way to be blown to smithereens. Grindelwald threw an arm over himself to block the body parts and blood from spraying all over him.

" _GO!"_ Hermione screamed to Nadia and Kote, signaling that she'd be right behind them. Hermione's form lifted into the air, white mist encircling her body. She wrapped Dimitri closer in her arms and zoomed across the city of London, Nadia and Kote's white mists right at her side.

Looking back, Hermione noticed that Grindelwald hadn't followed them. Deeming it was safe enough to land, she dived for a small shack in the middle of downtown London. It was secluded and covered. Grindelwald wouldn't be able to find them… she hoped.

Feet touching the ground, Hermione's mist dissipated and she turned around, watching as Dimitri's parents landed and bolted for her.

" _Dimitri!"_ Nadia sobbed, taking him from Hermione's arms and encircling him into her own. Kote embraced his family, tears streaking down his face.

Hermione took in the scene with a warm heart. She missed her own parents. Her eyes saddened at the memory of them hugging her similarly when she came home after the first real battle with Voldemort, tears streaming down her mother and father's face at the relief of seeing their daughter alive.

Sighing, Hermione looked up into the sky. The night had become darker somehow, the moonlight not doing anything to illuminate the area they were standing in. Now that she thought about it, the clouds looked like moving mists…

" _No… it can't be,"_ Hermione breathed.

" _What? What's wrong?"_ Nadia asked, handing Dimitri off to her husband and stepping towards Hermione with alarm.

Hermione watched as what seemed like hundreds of Grindelwald's men searched the grounds. They would surely check the secluded and covered places, especially the shack they were taking cover under. This family wouldn't survive if they were found, there were too many of them. Turning to them with determined eyes, she made up her mind.

" _Take care of your baby boy,"_ she said softly in departure, a genuine smile forming onto her face before she lifted off into the sky again.

" _Wait!"_ she heard Nadia yell, running towards where she had disappeared from.

Hermione escalated until she was right in front of the large black veil. Gripping her wand tightly, her white mist dove into the cloud of Grindelwald's men, her form protruding curses and spells alike. Hands gripped her as she fought her way to the center, watching as her Killing curses caused many men to plummet towards the Earth.

" _Granger, come here," Mad-Eye called to her. Turning around, Hermione looked at him curiously. She followed him out of the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was preparing dinner. Mad-Eye stopped in the middle of the living room, whirling around and looking behind her to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation._

" _You froze up out there today. You can't ever let your guard down, doing so will get you killed."_

 _Hermione threw her hands up. "You think I don't know that? My powers aren't strong enough, Mad-Eye. I tire out easily and the spells I do manage to throw don't seem to have a strong effect," she said exasperatedly._

" _You are strong, Hermione. And powerful. Your powers are the most unique I've seen in my time as an Auror, you just don't know how to use it properly quite yet," Mad-Eye stated, looking down at Hermione as if he held all the knowledge in the world. Hermione looked at him suspiciously._

" _What are you talking about?" she asked. Mad-Eye leaned towards her, his voice coming to a whisper._

" _There is ancient magic deep within the core of every single witch and wizard. It mainly goes untouched because wizards either don't understand how to use it or they don't even know it exists. This magic is the most powerful magic anyone can ever wield, a magic so pure that Voldemort himself would never stand a chance against it. But using it comes with a price."_

" _What price?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows furrowing. Mad-Eye had her full attention now._

" _In order to summon it, you have to dig deep within your soul. The magic comes from your life, your very essence. When you use it, you literally give your life to ward off the evil on the outside. It drains you, it pulls the life out of you. You need to use it wisely and sparingly. I want you to be careful, Hermione. Use too much of it and it will kill you."_

Hermione snapped open her eyes, Mad-Eye's words echoing in her head. She focused her energies on the dark mists circling her. Her body began to glow, gold light illuminating the darkness around her.

" _Come on, focus,"_ Hermione thought. She thought about Harry and about Ron. She thought about the Weasleys, how kind they had been to her. The golden light grew larger and larger with every happy memory, the light killing any evil it touched. Dark cloaks plummeted to the ground one after one, their bodies limp.

Grindelwald looked up to the sky. A golden light was emanating from the middle of his followers. One after one, his men dropped dead. Dozens and dozens of bodies piling up onto the ground below. His eyes widened, snapping to the source of the golden light. Through the little spurts he could see the face of the girl from before, her eyes closed and her face upturned towards the heavens.

Voices sounded in Hermione's head, almost like a tape recorder set to fast forward. She basked in the memories, not wanting to ever leave them.

" _Hermione, stop,"_ Ron's voice commanded in her head. " _Mione, you're dying."_

Something in his voice made her snap her eyes open, a final wave of golden light spreading across the entire city, the remnants dispersing across the land. She felt so tired… her body felt like it couldn't take it anymore. Her form plummeted towards the ground, her body landing harshly as the concrete made a deafening crack as she landed on it. Hermione succumbed to the darkness, welcoming the numb feeling that filled her to the very core.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Everything was so cold, she couldn't feel a thing. It felt like her soul had been ripped from her body. Was she dead? Where was Ron? Wouldn't he be waiting for her?

He would. He would be waiting for her. She wasn't dead. She had to _wake up._

Hermione fluttered her eyelids open, bright morning light streaming into her line of vision. The peacefulness it gave off had Hermione's eyes filling with tears. It was so beautiful. For once she didn't wake to darkness and blood and death.

She stared at the rays of light a little longer before slowly moving her eyes to take in her surroundings. Her body ached badly, Hermione not even having the energy to lift her arm. She was laying on something soft, a bed she supposed. Glancing to her right, she saw about two or three other beds lined up in the same manner. Was she in a hospital? An infirmary?

Just then a figure came around and knelt down in front of her, a hand resting on her clammy forehead. Hermione lifted her eyes to find a blond-haired woman with blue eyes staring down gently at her.

" _You…"_ Hermione croaked, her voice paper-thin and scratchy.

" _Shhh, don't speak. I'm here now, sweetheart. I'm right here,"_ the woman answered, her fingers gently wiping the sweaty strands of hair from Hermione's forehead. Hermione leaned into her touch, the feeling of her stroking calming her immensely. She felt the woman's arms sneak their way underneath her body, lifting her up and moving her in more of a sitting position.

" _Drink this, it'll help your throat,"_ she said, lifting a glass of water to Hermione's lips. Hermione drank greedily, the water quenching her dry mouth.

" _Thank you,"_ Hermione said a little more coherently, looking gratefully up at the blond woman.

" _I'm the one who should be thanking you. You saved my family,"_ she said, taking a seat on the side of Hermione's bed.

" _So they're okay? Your husband and little Dimitri?"_ Hermione asked, her hazel eyes lacing with concern.

" _Yes, they are perfectly safe. Thanks to you,"_ she said, placing a hand on Hermione's cheek. The woman's eyes fell to Hermione's left shoulder, her smile falling.

Catching herself, the woman smiled at Hermione once more. " _Anyway, your injuries are almost completely healed! It took our mediwitch almost all night to lift those curses and tend to those wounds. They were the worst she had ever seen. She was surprised you were even alive."_

Hermione knew what she was up to. The woman, Nadia, had been staring at her shoulder, the shoulder that the darkling had bit into. It had left a nasty scar, trailing all the way from her neck to past her shoulder blades.

" _It's not a werewolf bite, if that's what you're thinking,"_ Hermione said, dropping her eyes to her sheets. Nadia froze in readjusting Hermione's comforter, slowly turning her head to look at the young girl.

" _I was attacked by a darkling when I woke in a dark forest. I assumed that I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but then I wondered what a supposed extinct Romanian creature was doing in the heart of Britain. I was 'predicted' as you might call it, and she tried to kill me,"_ Hermione explained, her voice just above a whisper.

" _A darkling? I can't… no person in history has ever survived their prediction to tell the tale. How on earth… how did you escape?"_ Nadia asked, astonishment and concern lacing her tone and expression.

" _I'm not sure. One minute she was tearing into my flesh, the next she was screaming in pain,"_ Hermione said, shrugging her shoulder.

" _Screaming in pain? Did you throw a spell at her?"_

" _No… at the time I didn't have a wand. Mine had been destroyed in battle. Her face was covered in burns, but there were no logical explanations as to how they had appeared,"_ Hermione said.

Nadia appraised the girl in front of her. Her aura and essence gave her off as a fighter. But the way she spoke… it almost seemed as if she didn't know her own strength, how powerful she was.

Nadia stroked the girl's cheek. " _Well, you're safe now. No one and nothing can hurt you here, not anymore."_

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Where exactly _was_ here?

" _How did I get here?"_ Hermione asked softly, her eyes scanning the large dome-shaped room they were in. The room looked familiar, but Hermione couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

Nadia looked at her sadly. " _After you had fallen, I sent a Patronus to friends of mine to come and help you. Although, it wasn't really needed. They were already coming."_

" _What do you mean?"_ Hermione asked, her eyes turning back to Nadia's.

Nadia sighed, looking away despondently. " _The power that emanated from you created a large shock. It felt like the whole world was shaking. Even the students and professors here at the school had felt it, and strongly at that."_ Nadia looked back at Hermione, tears in her eyes. _"I could feel it. I could feel you dying with every second that spell was cast. I didn't know what to do, or how to save you. You had done so much for me, a complete stranger. But that spell… your energy felt comforting and suffocating at the same time. You were dying! With every ripple of power I felt your determination, your bravery… your anguish, your despair. I could feel you hurting. Why… why would you do something so dangerous, so life-threatening… and for a complete stranger too,"_ Nadia quietly sobbed.

Hermione stared out the window, her large, doe eyes rimmed with tears. The rays of morning light accentuated her soft features. " _I wake up every day and I'm more aware of my living body than anything else. I learn to appreciate what a miracle I am; every breath, every nerve, every heartbeat… because I know I shouldn't have survived what has been done to me. I've found that death is easy… peaceful even. One who accepts death every day they wake knows that there are far worse things in the living world than dying. Just having that knowledge made me realize that this is my reality. Loneliness and death is all I know, and if I could prevent anyone else from feeling the way I do, then I would."_

Anger welling up at Hermione's words, Nadia grabbed Hermione's chin, forcing the young girl to look at her.

" _But to die without actually living! This war is nothing but a fight for one man's greed. His obsession for power increases with every second that passes by, every life that gets taken and you, you've demonstrated the very power that he's been seeking his entire life. What will you do when he comes after you? You can't honestly be saying that accepting death every single day you wake is any way to live. You've got to think more of your safety! What good are you to the world dead? Why do you insist on risking your life in such a way, when you haven't even experienced living at all!"_

Hermione ripped her face away from Nadia's fingers. _"Because, sometimes you've_ _GOT_ _to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've_ _GOT_ _to think more about the greater good! This is war! War requires sacrifice and I will NOT pretend that I'm meant to live out any type of life in a world like this. Don't sit there and tell me that waking up every day and accepting that it might be my last isn't any way to live, because this is my reality. It's the unknown that people fear when they think of death and darkness, but I've stopped fearing it a long time ago. I know what I put at stake when I fight against him, and I've accepted it. I will fight to the very end until I see through the peacefulness this place has once held, but for me, it's too late."_ Hermione said, her words spilling out with a passion and sadness that left Nadia speechless, her eyes widening slightly.

At that moment, the large oak door groaned open and both women turned to see who had entered. Hermione froze. There, standing in the doorway, was Albus Dumbledore. He walked towards them, sad eyes falling on Hermione.

" _Nadia, if you could ever be so kind as to go back to your family. They need you in a time like this, especially your little one,"_ Dumbledore softly said, eyes gentle as he looked at the blond woman.

Nadia looked at Hermione, tears welling up in her eyes. She reached her hand to stroke the young girl's cheek, pushing a small lock of honey blond hair behind her ear. Hermione turned away from Nadia's touch, her eyes closing as a silent tear escaped her eye. She waited until she felt Nadia's weight lift from the bed, listening to her footsteps as they slowly made their way to the door. The groan of the oak door as it closed felt like a stab through Hermione's heart.

The scraping of a chair against the marble floor caused Hermione to turn her head toward its source. Her eyes fell on Dumbledore as he proceeded to sit in the chair that was now placed next to Hermione's bed. At first he didn't say anything, so she took this opportunity to examine him further. His beard wasn't white, which confused her. It was more of an auburn color, and the many creases his face once possessed seemed to be nonexistent. He looked… younger, which perplexed her even more seeing as how he was supposed to be dead.

" _Of course he would appear younger,"_ Hermione thought. She seemed to have forgotten that she was trapped in 1942.

Her eyes strayed away from his face, again wandering around the strange room she was in. She carefully examined the two long rows of beds, the large, dome-shaped ceiling, and the intricately carved wooden door that sat way in the back of the room. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows at the familiar setting. An image formed in her head of the beds lying scorched across the room, the walls deteriorated to nothing but rubble and ruins. Her eyes flew to the door in the back of the room, an image of the wall and door being blasted to smithereens, Madame Pomfrey's lifeless body lying in the door's threshold.

Hermione felt tears threatening to spill at the horrible memories that played through her mind. She knew where she was now. The Hogwarts infirmary was not desecrated to rubble, but instead looked as good as new. The realization had her mind slowly coming back to reality.

" _I see that you're wondering where you are,"_ Dumbledore's voice sounded, bringing Hermione fully back to the present. Her eyes wandered back to him.

" _You are laying in the infirmary of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You were brought here after you became unconscious – "_

" _I was unconscious a lot of times,"_ Hermione interrupted him, her voice apathetic. She loved Dumbledore like a second father, but this wasn't _her_ Dumbledore. He hadn't experienced the things that she had, not yet. She was completely alone in this time period, and her mind slowly resigned to that fate.

" _I see…"_ Dumbledore said sadly. " _Do you remember anything before the last time you fell unconscious?"_

Hermione turned her head away from Dumbledore, her eyes staring blankly out of the large windows in front of her bed. Images of black mists and green lights flashed through her brain.

" _Somewhat,"_ she answered distantly. She turned back to him. " _How many? How many men did I kill?"_

Dumbledore's eyes filled with agony at her question. He remained silent.

" _Tell me,"_ she said more forcefully. Dumbledore looked up at her face. He knew she wouldn't yield until he gave her the dreadful answer.

" _The Order had collected the bodies of the men that fell from your spell, they needed to be properly disposed of,"_ Dumbledore said quietly. "… _The number of bodies we counted was 152."_

Hermione's mouth fell slightly agape, Dumbledore's words hitting her like a brick to the face. " _T-t-that can't be. I couldn't have killed all those men. My spell was close range. I should've only killed about five men at the most,"_ Hermione said, struggling to keep her composure. She searched Dumbledore's face for some kind of agreement.

" _You really don't know, do you?"_ he said sadly. " _Your spell had reached epic proportions. I had never seen anything like it in my entire life, nor did Wizarding history have anything close in records of the scale in which your spell reached. Your spell caused a massive shock that made the world feel like it was splitting in two. Even here at Hogwarts, one after the other, an intense quake would violently shake the school. The students and professors were in absolute astonishment."_

" _I don't understand. How could I, a measly girl, give off that much power and live to tell the tale? It's just not possible,"_ Hermione said disbelievingly.

" _I'm afraid I can't give you an answer at this moment. But I can assure you that you are safe here. Neither Grindelwald nor his men can breach the enchantments of this school."_

Hermione stared out at the morning sky. " _He's going to come after me. He will stop at nothing to find me,"_ Hermione stated.

" _Which is why you will stay here,"_ Dumbledore said. " _We will get you Sorted and scheduled for classes –"_

" _I know you were listening to my conversation with Nadia,"_ Hermione interrupted. " _I will not pretend to live a life that is safe and happy. It's too late for me."_

" _With all due respect, I don't think you have much choice. It's either stay here at Hogwarts, or leave the grounds knowing that Grindelwald has a target on your back. Are you prepared to live a life where you are constantly looking over your shoulder?"_ Dumbledore asked.

Hermione stayed silent, her eyes hardening as she stared him down. She hated to admit it, but Dumbledore was right. She would most likely be hunted and captured the minute she left the grounds. Her real mission was here anyway. Voldemort was a student here at Hogwarts, long before he came into power. From what Dumbledore had told her, and from the date, Tom Riddle would be in his…. fifth year. She also remembered that back then, school started a month earlier due to the war. Which means that students were already occupying the school at this very minute… including the young Dark Lord.

Seeming to have sensed her acceptance, Dumbledore continued. " _I assure you that you will be safe here. You are making the right decision,"_ he told her. Hermione's eyes hardened even more.

" _I don't remember ever making a decision in the first place,"_ she said steadily.

" _Yes, but you don't really have an option,"_ Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling. " _First thing's first, what is your name sweetheart?"_ Dumbledore asked. Hermione stared at him for a few seconds before answering.

" _Hermione. Hermione Evans,"_ she answered.She had chosen to take Lily Potter's maiden name in honor of Harry. She would have taken Potter, but that probably wouldn't have gone well with the Potter of this time period.

" _Hermione… that's a very beautiful name. It suits you well, my dear. Now, I should explain a few things to you about the school. You will be Sorted into one of the four houses. Those houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You will be sorted based on your personality and traits –"_

" _Tell me this,"_ Hermione said suddenly, cutting him off from his explanation of Hogwarts. _"Are the students aware that the cause of the violent shocks is lying in the infirmary at this very minute?"_

Dumbledore looked shocked at her blunt question but recovered quickly. His answer was just as blunt as hers. " _Yes, they know,"_ he said.

" _Then I will not stay here. If information about myself can spread through a whole school in just a day, what is to say that that information hasn't reached Grindelwald on the outside? He will try to break the barriers of this school, stopping at nothing to get to me. I will not allow these children to be put into any form of danger,"_ Hermione said levelly.

" _And what about you? Who will protect you if you leave on your own?"_ Dumbledore inquired.

" _I told you, it's too late for me. And besides, I can take care of myself. You've seen what I can do,"_ Hermione laughed humorlessly. Dumbledore assessed her, narrowing his eyes at her words.

" _I apologize Miss Evans, but I will not allow you to leave this school. From here on out, you will attend classes like any other student and will stay within the walls of this castle. Do not try to escape or else I will be forced to have Aurors stationed at every entrance and exit of this school. Do you understand me?"_ he said forcefully, a hint of hardness and determination in his blue eyes.

Hermione glared at him as he lifted himself up from the chair, turning to leave. " _Oh and by the way,"_ Dumbledore turned back around, his voice and tone becoming more cheerful. Dear Merlin, did this man have bipolar disorder?

" _I will be coming back tonight to escort you to the Headmaster's office for your Sorting. I understand that you still feel weak, so rest up. I'll be seeing you,"_ he said in parting as he looked at her over his spectacles, humor lacing his blue irises.

Crossing her arms in contempt, Hermione watched as he made his way through the oak door, the groan as it closed seeming like Dumbledore's finality to her fate. She really needed to oil that thing. It seemed like it was making such unfair decisions for her.

Sighing heavily Hermione turned away from the door, sliding down on her side and pulling the covers up to her chin. She knew that when Dumbledore used that tone, he was dead serious. Not one person could ever outwit that man when he made a decision.

Hermione found her eyes slowly becoming heavy, her mind taking her off into a deep sleep.

" _FIND THEM! KILL THEM ALL!"_

" _You'll pay for that, Mudblood."_

" _Not the girl. I want her alive!"_

" _Hermione, help me!"_

" _MIONE! LOOK OUT!"_

" _NO! GINNY!"_

" _Ron, Harry, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"_

Hermione's eyelids snapped open, the pain of the memories flooding her eyes with tears. She couldn't move, paralyzed by the recurring nightmare that had plagued her mind for nights now. No matter how hard she tried, or how brave she acted, she could never get the images of Ron and Harry's mutilated bodies out of her head. By the states their carcasses were in, Hermione knew they suffered a lot before they finally died.

Hermione closed her eyes once more. The tears that were running down her face began to soak her pillow as her broken sobs came out one after another.

She felt a hand cup her cheek, wiping away the damp hair that fell in her tear tracks. Looking up, soft blue eyes met her blurry hazel ones. Nadia sat on the edge of her bed, her stroking motions calming Hermione's loud sobs.

" _W-what are you doing here?"_ Hermione asked quietly, sitting up in her bed and wiping her eyes.

" _I'm not giving up on you, even if you've given up on yourself,"_ Nadia said. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Hermione's ear. " _You're so beautiful, you know that? And powerful, and brave. You hold such determination and strength despite what has been done to you. Your resolve and kindness… it radiates from your very being. I just wish you wouldn't cut yourself so short. You've got a whole life to live ahead of you."_

Just as Hermione was about to cut in, Nadia continued. " _And before you say 'it's too late for me,' I want you to know that it is possible for you to live, for you to love. I can see your inner turmoil, and I can't imagine how you must feel. But you mustn't forget that every breath, every heartbeat is a miracle and a gift. A gift that shouldn't be wasted."_

 _I want you to know that it is possible for you to live, for you to love._ Nadia's words ran through Hermione's brain. _To love._ She could never love anyone else but Ron.

" _Remember that I love you, always and forever. And I know you love me too, but don't let it get in the way of you following your heart. I will always be beside you on whatever you choose. I love you, Mione. Wake up."_

Wake up. She needed to _wake up._ Wallowing in self-pity was not going to get her mission accomplished. She was showing weakness, something that she couldn't afford. Especially when dealing with the Dark Lord.

Hermione looked out at the large row of windows that lined the infirmary. The beautiful morning light she had woken up to before had turned into an orange glow. How long had she been asleep? She was brought out of her thoughts by Nadia's voice.

" _We should get you cleaned up, sweetie. I'll go and run a hot bath for you,"_ Nadia said, standing up and walking to the bathroom in the back of the Infirmary.

That's right. Dumbledore told her that he would be back tonight to escort her to her Sorting. For once, she was genuinely curious as to which House she would be placed in. This wasn't like her first year in the future, where she was certain she would be placed in Gryffindor. No, she had no clue who she was anymore. The war had changed her, not just physically but mentally too. She still held her intelligence, even more so than she originally had. But there was something deep inside of her that made her feel as if she was looking at a different person in the mirror. Sometimes, all she felt was anger and distrust. These emotions would be warped into cunning ways of manipulation and problem solving. Her thinking process was much faster, and she noticed tiny details that most people would just blatantly ignore. She blamed it on the war, how it affected her in ways even she couldn't explain. But she still held on to her loyalty and her kindness, so her Sorting would truly be an interesting experience.

Broken out of her muse by the large oak door groaning open, Hermione looked to see who had entered. A small, skinny boy with messy, sandy-blond hair entered, his eyes looking over the Infirmary until they fell on her. He looked to be about a second year and as Hermione looked down at his insignia, noticed he was a Gryffindor. Her heart ached at the sight of the red and gold crest.

Sensing his uncomfortableness, Hermione decided to speak up.

" _Can I help you with anything, sweetheart? Do you need any medicine? I'd be happy to fetch our mediwitch for you,"_ she said kindly, her voice sounding like soft, tinkling bells.

" _Um… n-n-no. I was just… um…"_ the boy stuttered, staring at her with wide eyes. Hermione raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior. She knew he was a nice boy, his essence gave off a bright, golden glow. But she could tell from his demeanor and personality that he was extremely shy, and the rumors of her arrival didn't give him any more comfort.

Without taking her eyes off of him, Hermione languidly pushed back her covers, swinging her feet to hang over the side of the bed. She carefully stood up, making her way across the Infirmary to stand in front of the boy. His eyes widened as she neared, landing on the noticeable scar that lined her neck and shoulder.

" _What's your name?"_ she asked quietly, so as not to frighten him any further.

" _W-W-William,"_ he said with his eyes downcast, looking at anywhere but her.

" _Tell me something William, why won't you look at me?"_ she asked, her wise eyes looking down at the short, small boy.

" _I-I-I d-don't know, Miss. I a-apologize – "_

" _There's no need to apologize for how you feel,"_ Hermione said. " _I assume the rumors of my arrival have you on edge. It's alright, I understand."_

" _You do?"_ William asked, his large, green eyes snapping up to meet her hazel ones.

" _Of course. You must think ill of me and the things that I have done. I just want you to know that there is no other painful circumstance than to be forced to choose between your life and another's,"_ Hermione said, distantly looking out across the dark grounds of Hogwarts. The silence in the room grew heavy, almost suffocating her. Why was she confessing this to a child? Had her desperation for a connection come this far? Hermione was brought out of her thoughts by William's next words.

" _I don't think you're a murderer,"_ William said softly.

Hermione whipped her head to the sandy-blond, freckled boy in front of her. " _What?"_ she asked softly. William gave her a soft smile.

" _You shouldn't listen to what the students here at school say about you. They haven't experienced what you have, seen the things you have seen. Their judgement should make no difference in how you see yourself. My dad, he's an Auror. He always tells me that it is our choices that show who we really are, not who we're born as. The fact that you feel guilty over all the lives lost makes you different than Grindelwald on so many levels."_

Hermione stood there in shock, tears threatening to spill at this boy's words. Just at that moment, she heard the door to the bathroom being opened.

" _Hermione?"_ she heard Nadia call.

William looked past Hermione at Nadia, then brought his eyes back to her.

" _I almost forgot that I was sent here for a reason. The Headmaster told me to convey to you that your Sorting will begin in an hour. He told me to tell you that Professor Dumbledore will be unable to make it to escort you to his office, so he asked if Miss Pierce would be willing to stand in."_

" _Of course I would. Thank you for the message, William. I'll tell your father that you said hello, alright?"_ Nadia said, coming up behind Hermione.

William nodded enthusiastically. " _Would you tell him that I love him too? I'm afraid I'm not allowed to owl him due to mission purposes,"_ he said sadly.

" _I would be more than happy to tell him that,"_ Nadia said, smiling softly. " _Run along now. I wouldn't want you to miss dinner."_

With a smile, William turned around and disappeared through the door. Hermione's heart ached at the sight of him leaving.

 _I don't think you're a murderer._

That boy, a complete stranger, had complete faith in her despite knowing nothing about her… sort of like how Nadia showed faith in her as well. Hermione looked towards the blond woman with soft eyes.

" _Well, you heard him. We only have an hour! I just finished running your bath. I made sure that it was nice and hot for you,"_ Nadia said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the tub. " _Do you need any assistance in bathing?"_

" _No, no I can manage on my own. Thank you, though,"_ Hermione said.

" _Well, alright… I'll be right outside here if you need anything. I've laid some clothes out on the table for you. Just change into them when you've finished."_

" _I will, thank you again,"_ Hermione said, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

After shedding her blood-stained clothes, Hermione stepped into the steaming hot tub of water. She couldn't help but relax under the warm water's comfort. It had been so long since she had a proper bathing and she was enjoying every single second of it.

A soft knock sounded on the door. " _Hermione? We have fifteen minutes to get to the Sorting. Did you fall asleep?"_ Nadia's voice rung through the wood of the door.

" _N-no. I'll be out in a minute!"_ she yelled, unaware that she had spent so much time in the water.

She stepped out, drying herself off and walking over to the pile of clothes that Nadia had laid out for her. She held up a beautiful black dress, the v-neckline doing wonders to modestly emphasize her breasts. The hem dropped mid-thigh, and the sleeves of the dress stopped mid-bicep. Along with the dress were dark, see-through stockings, which highlighted every curve of her legs and most importantly, covered the bruises. The heels complimented her legs perfectly, and Hermione used a spell on her hair that curled them into perfect ringlets that went to the middle of her back.

Hermione moved to the mirror, preparing to put on the little cosmetics Nadia had left for her. She covered what she could of the bruises that lined her face, adding a small amount of red lipstick as a nice touch. This was the forties, so she had to fit into the decade's style.

She stared at herself, furrowing her eyebrows. Something was different. She looked… younger? And her eyes glowed more than they had in her entire life. Was time travel able to change your appearance?

" _Hermione, we have to go,"_ Nadia said, knocking from the other side of the door. Hermione jumped at the sudden noise.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Hermione closed her eyes to keep her heart from jumping out of her chest. " _Get ahold of yourself, Hermione,"_ she thought. She opened the door, meeting Nadia's amazed look.

" _Oh my… honey, you look absolutely beautiful!"_ she said, staring at every aspect of Hermione's figure. " _Oh, all the boys will be fawning over you, I just know it!"_

Hermione looked away, uncomfortable with the topic. " _I'm pretty sure I'm not here to attract the attention of boys,"_ she said, shyly looking down at her outfit. She had never worn anything like this before. She wanted very badly to change into her jeans and converse… but wait, did those things even exist in this decade? " _Probably not,"_ she thought, depressed.

Ignoring her comment, Nadia grabbed Hermione's hand, dragging her towards the door. " _We have five minutes to get to the Headmaster's office…"_

Still getting dragged, Hermione descended the stairs that led up to the Infirmary. As she reached one of the main hallways, nausea bubbled up in her stomach. They were entering a major battleground where Voldemort's followers attacked the students of Hogwarts. Hermione could see nothing but the dead bodies of her fallen classmates, spread out all across the stone floor. The images of blood decorating the floors and walls snuck its way into her brain, her nostrils picking up the strong coppery scent.

Hermione ripped her hand away from Nadia's, bending over as she retched all over the floor.

" _Hermione!"_ Nadia yelled, running to hold back the girl's hair as she continued to vomit. Whipping out her wand, Nadia cleaned up the vomit with a flick of her wrist and guided Hermione to the nearest girls' bathroom. She half carried Hermione to the sink, turning on the water and cleaning her face from the remnants of bile.

" _What happened? Tell me, what happened Hermione?"_ Nadia said frantically, pushing back the girl's hair from her sweaty forehead.

" _I… just… memories. The war and… I smelled blood. A lot of it,"_ she managed to choke out. She technically wasn't lying, she just didn't share the details. " _I'm sorry,"_ she whispered, leaning over the sink.

" _You have nothing to be sorry about. I should have asked how you were feeling before we left the infirmary,"_ Nadia stated, a hint of self-resentment in her voice.

" _No… no it's fine. You couldn't have known. Would you please help me in cleaning myself up? I'm afraid I don't have the energy right now,"_ Hermione admitted. That memory had drained her significantly for some reason. She had memories like this before. Why was it affecting her so much like this now?

" _Of course! Leave it to me sweetheart,"_ Nadia said, proceeding to mutter a cleaning and healing spell. Hermione's nausea ceased, her clothes in perfect order. Hermione rinsed out her mouth, using the small toothbrush Nadia had conjured up for her to use. Allowing Nadia to reapply the red lipstick, she grabbed the blond woman's hand and left the bathroom.

" _Tell me if you feel sick again. We'll turn around and go right back to the Infirmary, okay?"_ Nadia said, concern lacing her beautiful blue eyes.

Nodding, Hermione allowed herself to be led through the long hallways, taking deep breaths and closing her eyes at severe battle points. It seemed like forever before they stopped in front of a stone eagle, the entrance to the Headmaster's office looming above.

Stepping forward, Nadia whispered what was assumed to be the password, causing the spiral staircase to ascend. Placing a hand upon Hermione's lower back Nadia motioned for her to go first, stepping up right behind her. They ascended until they came upon a familiar wooden door, gold lines intricately woven within the panels.

Nadia stepped forward, knocking three times.

" _Yes, yes, come in!"_ came an impatient, grumpy voice from within.

Both women pushed through the door, walking into the familiar, oval-shaped office that created a bittersweet feeling within Hermione. The portraits of previous Headmasters lay in their same exact spots, save Dippet's and Dumbledore's. Some of them were snoozing, others scrutinized her as she made her way towards the Headmaster's desk.

The Headmaster spared the two women a momentary glance, doing a double-take when he realized Hermione standing not ten feet from him.

" _Ah, Miss Evans! I've been expecting you!"_ Dippet said, standing up from his chair. The old, stout man walked around the mahogany desk, his balding head reflecting the light of the candles. He turned an icy stare on Nadia.

" _As you know I am a very busy man, Miss Pierce. I trusted you to get her here on time, yet here we are, almost half an hour later. I've had to cancel a meeting because of your incompetence,"_ he spit, placing his hands behind his back.

Just as Nadia was about to say something, Hermione stepped in front of her, throwing Dippet her most charming smile. " _Headmaster sir, I'm contrite to admit that our tardiness was my fault. You see, I had gotten sick on the way here and Miss Pierce had taken me aside to deal with my condition. I apologize if I have caused you any inconvenience."_

Dippet blinked a few times, dazed by Hermione's captivating smile. " _Oh my… well I do so hope you are feeling better Miss Evans. It's a good thing Miss Pierce was there to take good care of you! We can't have you walking around alone if you're still feeling unwell,"_ he said, looking down at her with a concerned look.

" _I am feeling much better, sir. If I may add, Miss Pierce handled the situation perfectly. There is absolute no need for any concern,"_ she said politely, reaching behind to give Nadia's hand a quick squeeze. A slight pressure was returned before Hermione let go, not wanting Dippet to see her silent message.

" _I am very glad to hear you are feeling well for the time being, Miss Evans. Now, on to your Sorting. I assume Dumbledore explained to you the basics of the different Houses you can be placed in?"_ Dippet asked.

" _Yes sir, he did,"_ Hermione answered.

" _Very good. All I need you to do is step right up here…"_ he said, lightly placing a hand on her back, guiding her towards the chair where the Sorting hat was placed. Dippet picked up the hat, waited for Hermione to be seated, and slowly started to place the hat on her head.

" _Hm, what have we got here?"_ Hermione jumped a little. She forgot that the hat was able to speak with you inside of your own mind. " _I see you're far from home, aren't you little time traveler?"_

" _I ask you not to convey that information to anyone. You of all should know the consequences I would have to withstand if someone discovers my true identity,"_ Hermione thought, trying not to show her panic at the hat's knowledge of who she really was.

" _Unfortunately, I do. There's no need to worry Miss Granger, I see you've got a big journey ahead of you. I must warn you though, it will be the most difficult you've ever endured. But the determination is there, yes. AMBITION! Ambition and loyalty and love I see, but what is this? Intellect and manipulation? Hmm. You're not making this easy for me Miss Granger,"_ the hat mused.

" _Life isn't meant to be 'made easy' for anyone. Especially not me,"_ Hermione thought.

" _And why do you say that?"_ the hat asked.

" _Over a hundred bodies later and I'm still not satisfied. I'm here for one reason, and one reason only. Voldemort will bleed like he's made this entire world bleed. Even if it takes the last breath out of me… he will pay,"_ Hermione thought scornfully.

" _Do not give in to the darkness, Hermione,"_ the hat warned. _"I see it growing ever so rapidly inside you, the obscurity almost reaching for your soul. You have to push it back, you have to fight it. I see that I'm not the only one who believes you to be a fighter._

Hermione slightly gasped. _Ron._

" _I don't know how to fight it,"_ Hermione thought, her memory bringing up Ron's handsome face.

" _Love. You've given so much out in your lifetime, I've felt it all myself…. Remember that I love you, always and forever. And I know you love me too, but don't let it get in the way of you following your heart. I will always be beside you on whatever you choose. I love you, Mione."_

Ron's words echoed through her head, her eyes red with the strain of keeping the tears from falling.

" _You know exactly how to fight it,"_ the hat said, having just seen the memory.

" _Love always triumphs over evil, Hermione. No matter how much darkness I witness growing inside you, you possess and have experienced the one thing Voldemort never had. LOVE. You've given so much out in your lifetime, and THAT is what sets you apart from him. Your beloved was right in seeing a fighter in you,"_ the hat spoke softly inside of her head.

" _I think I know where to put you now, my dear. Your path is difficult and treacherous but I have the utmost faith that you'll face it head on with an open mind and most importantly, an open heart. Which means that I've decided that it'd better be…_

" _SLYTHERIN!"_ the hat yelled, out loud this time. Hermione snapped open her eyes, determination and resolution reflecting from the deep depths of her hazel orbs. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hermione couldn't breathe, her heart beating rapidly against her chest. The voices all around her seemed distant, like a television not quite tuned to the right frequency. Colors and movement flashed before her eyes but she paid them no attention.

 _Good luck, Hermione._

A voice spoke inside her head right before she felt a slight pressure being lifted off of her. Her eyes focused on the Headmaster who was standing right in front of her.

" _Well done Miss Evans! Slytherin is truly a noble house indeed,"_ he said. Hermione noticed he was holding the Sorting hat in his hand; he must have just taken it off of her.

" _Thank you, sir,"_ she said faintly. Her mind was still processing the hat's decision. The brave, loyal lioness was now a sly, cunning snake. She wondered how her sanity would stay intact when she was being thrown in the middle of the snake pit. With the rumors, or in this case the facts of her arrival, Voldemort would be the hissing snake right in the middle of the pit that would wrap his scaly body around her throat until she divulged to him the information he wanted.

" _Bring it on, cupcake. I'm not telling you jack shit,"_ Hermione thought. She was brought out of her reverie by the feeling of a hand cupping her own.

" _Hermione?"_ Nadia asked, looking down at her. Hermione looked from Nadia to the Headmaster, both looking at her expectantly. " _Is something wrong, sweetheart?"_

" _N-no, not at all,"_ she said. " _I was just daydreaming. I apologize… did you ask me something?"_

" _Yes, yes I wanted to know your current academic placement so that I can consult with Dumbledore on scheduling your classes,"_ Dippet said, his voice sounding unusually patient with her.

" _I'd like to take more advanced courses, if you don't mind. My homeschooling taught me the basic spells, but there's only so much I can learn about subjects like Arithmancy on my own,"_ she said without hesitation. Only half of her story was a lie. Teaching yourself Arithmancy proved to be an almost impossible feat, even to Hermione.

" _You like Arithmancy?"_ Nadia asked.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. She really did love the subject, something that set her apart from her fellow classmates. " _Oh yes! I think it's absolutely fascinating. The dynamics of consulting the composition of complex number charts proves to be quite invigorating to the mind."_

The room became quiet as Nadia and Dippet stared at her with their mouths slightly agape.

" _Well then… Advanced Arithmancy it is,"_ Dippet mumbled, scribbling down a note.

" _Hermione, dear,"_ Nadia said. _"Based off of your interest in Arithmancy, I recommend you take Study of Ancient Runes. It will be quite –"_

" _Oh yes! I almost forgot! I absolutely love attempting to translate ancient runic scriptures. Although, I haven't really been able to succeed since I haven't had the correct resources,"_ she said sadly. Back in the future, she was attempting to translate The Tales of Beetle the Bard into English, but with the war erupting, she had to abandon her project.

" _Not to worry Miss Evans, Advanced Ancient Runes is already added to your schedule,"_ Dippet said. " _Now, all you need to choose is one more elective class. You can choose between Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, or Muggle Studies."_

" _Well… I'm a Muggle-born so I'm afraid Muggle Studies wouldn't be as stimulating as Divination or Care of Magical Creatures…"_ she said to herself. Dippet and Nadia formed soft smiles at the sight of her talking to herself. " _Right then. I'll take both Divination and Care of Magical Creatures."_

Dippet looked as if he was about to fall out of his chair. " _Miss Evans… are you sure? The workload for fifth years is already so strenuous."_

" _Yes, I'm sure!"_ Hermione said, smiling to herself at the thought of piles of homework and essays she would have to do. She loved keeping busy.

" _Well… alright then. Hmm…"_ Dippet said, placing a hand on his chin.

" _Is something wrong, Headmaster?"_ Hermione asked.

" _No, no. I was just comparing your schedule to another student here at Hogwarts. You two seem to have the same exact classes. He belongs to your House you know, top student in his year! Very nice boy, and very intelligent as well! I can't wait to hear from the professors what it's like for two equally gifted minds to be in the same room,"_ Dippet said.

Hermione's muscles tensed up. She knew exactly who Dippet was talking about. She inwardly groaned at the thought of having to endure Voldemort at almost every hour of the day.

" _Riddle. His name is Riddle. I can't keep calling him Voldemort or else it might slip unintentionally,"_ Hermione thought.

Taking off his glasses, Dippet stood up. " _Now that we have your schedule in order, I assume you're ready to meet your new housemates?"_

Hermione nodded, her lips set in a tight line. She climbed off of the stool, following the Headmaster as he walked towards the door. Nadia followed close behind, wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist. They climbed down the spiral staircase, heading into the halls of Hogwarts.

Hermione actually didn't know the way to the Slytherin common room, so she paid extra attention to the winds and turns they travelled down, making note of the halls most likely to be deserted if she ever wanted to move without being bothered.

Hermione tensed as Dippet headed straight for a large portrait that looked to be a noblemen. " _Purebloods,"_ Dippet muttered and watched as the portrait door swung open.

" _Purebloods? Seriously? Some things never change,"_ she thought, annoyed at the fact she would have to mutter that word every time she wanted to get into the common room.

" _Wait here for one moment,"_ Dippet said, disappearing into the hole. Nadia hugged Hermione tighter, sensing her unease.

" _You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart,"_ Nadia said, whispering into her ear. " _Life is giving you this second chance. It is not too late for you."_

As Nadia pressed a kiss to Hermione's temple, Dippet's voice rung throughout the portrait entrance.

" _Can I have everyone's attention, please?"_ Dippet called out across the room. She heard the noise of the students on the other side of the portrait door die down as they became curious as to why the Headmaster was in their common room.

" _As you all understand, Hogwarts has recently acquired a new student. She has been sorted into Slytherin and will be attending classes effective by tomorrow. Due to the dire circumstances of her arrival, I ask you to please respect her privacy and welcome her to the best of your abilities."_ Dippet turned to face Hermione standing outside the portrait hole.

" _Miss Evans, if you would please,"_ Dippet said, holding out an arm to signal her to step into the common room.

Hermione couldn't move. She felt like her whole body had shut down, refusing to even make one step. It knew that beyond that portrait stood the one man that destroyed everything she loved. She didn't know if she could handle being in the same room with him knowing that her best friend and her boyfriend lay mutilated in an underground cell over fifty years in the future.

" _Oh, come on in dear! Don't be shy, they won't bite!"_ Dippet laughed. Hermione wanted to hit him. Here she was with a body count of over a hundred, and the clueless Headmaster stood there thinking she was _shy._ The thought of it was ridiculously amusing.

Nevertheless, Hermione smoothed down her dress and began walking through the portrait hole. She entered slowly, keeping her eyes downcast. She may have been fighting in a war for over a year, but modesty was still a part of her. She made her way over to the Headmaster's side, his hand resting on her shoulder as he continued to introduce her to the array of students gathered around them.

Feeling a bit daring, she lifted her eyes. She was surprised to find that absolutely no one was listening to what Dippet was saying; all eyes were on her. The boys surveyed her body appreciatively, lust filling their every feature. Their hungry eyes made Hermione feel extremely uncomfortable, like a snake's prey moments before the snake attacked. Attempting to distract herself she swept the sea of Slytherins once more, observing that every single uniform, hair and mien in the entire room screamed 'money' and 'power'.

Subconsciously, Hermione fisted the fabric of her dress. These snakes would eat her alive when they found out that she had neither money nor status in the Wizarding World.

Sometime in her musing, her eyes traveled to the back of the room and fell onto a tall, dark figure hanging back in the shadows. Hermione squinted imperceptibly, straining her eyes to make out what looked like a boy in the dim lighting of the common room. From what she could see, the boy was extremely handsome.

His dark hair swept across his head in perfect, luscious waves. A lock fell across his forehead, contrasting greatly with the strong pallor of his skin. Her eyes dropped to his angular cheekbones, following down his prominent jaw line until they landed on his full, pink lips. Her eyes flew up to stare into the icy blue pits that were sharply watching her every move. The blue irises had Hermione captivated, the deep depths resembling a rip tide in the ocean, pulling Hermione in against her will. His whole entire essence screamed 'angel' and 'dangerous' at the same time.

" _Beautiful, but deadly,"_ Hermione thought as she stared at the perfectly sculpted human being that was casually leaning against the wall. Just then, Hermione noticed a change in the dark blue depths of his eyes. The swirls of blue gradually turned darker, slitting and dilating over and over again. She imagined those slits turning red, staring at her as she writhed in pain.

" _Tell me, Mudblood. Tell me where it is," a hiss whispered._

 _A loud demonic scream flashed rapidly through her mind before focusing in on Voldemort's red-slit eyes once more. His face was inches from hers._

" _Tell me, Mudblood. Tell me who possesses it."_

 _Hermione struggled to lift her head, looking Voldemort straight into his eyes. Blood spurted from her mouth as her teeth gritted against each other._

" _No," she said defiantly, spitting blood into the Dark Lord's face._

" _TELL ME!" he screamed._

 _All she could feel was pain._

 _CRRRRRACK!_

Ripped from the memory, Hermione's dazed eyes glanced to her right just in time to see a large bookshelf tumbling towards her, large fractures splitting through the old wood. She froze, feeling the familiar sensation of her magic crackling through the air.

" _Miss Evans!"_ called Dippet. Having wandered across the room during his speech, he was safely out of reach. He watched in horror as the bookcase was only inches from Hermione's head.

Hermione came to her senses, her body growing warm as a bright light illuminated her form, throwing the bookcase back against the wall. The case quivered with the impact, finally settling down into its original placement. She inspected the large fissure that disfigured the beautiful, ancient wood. It seemed like a reflection of her; a strong, beautiful woman scarred with all of the death and destruction that plagued her every vision, whether she be asleep or awake.

She couldn't help but reach out and trace the fractures, her touch releasing her magic, allowing the wood to splinter itself back together. Only a faint line existed upon it, always a remembrance that it was once broken. Realizing that she still had an audience, Hermione dropped her hand from the wood and turned around, meeting the eyes of the Headmaster.

" _My God… Miss Evans, what you just did… I've never seen anything like it before,"_ Dippet said, slowly walking over to the bookcase, inspecting the faint line where the deep fractures once were. He turned to her in wonder. " _You truly are a remarkable witch. Power like this is not gifted to many, Miss Evans. It is deeply sought but very rarely acquired. You, my dear, are the epitome of what this war is being fought for. I do ask you to be extremely careful."_

" _Of course, sir,"_ she said, even more aware of the eyes that were glued to her. The Headmaster just proclaimed her to be the most powerful witch he has ever seen, and in front of the entire Slytherin House.

" _This is not good,"_ she thought.

" _You should get some rest. Classes start bright and early! I'll have your schedule delivered to you tomorrow morning at breakfast. Have a good night, Miss Evans,"_ the Headmaster said, disappearing through the portrait hole.

Hermione watched him go, half begging him not to leave her here alone with the Slytherins. She realized that he hadn't told her which staircase to take either, or what room was hers. Mentally cursing, she turned back to the Slytherins, who were already starting to disperse. She watched multiple girls climb up a staircase to the right and Hermione assumed those stairs led to the girls' dormitory.

Forcing her feet to move, she made her way across the Slytherin common room. Feeling a sense of dread creep up on her, she tensed up. There was only one person who could make her feel that way by just looking at her. Moving more quickly she bolted up the stairs, out of sight of the piercing gaze of Riddle.

She walked through hallway after hallway. The Slytherin dorms were nothing like Gryffindor's. Unlike the spiraling towers in which Gryffindor resided in, these dorms had hallways that winded and wrapped around endlessly.

" _Just like the path of a snake,"_ Hermione thought. She wasn't surprised that Salazar would design the architecture accordingly.

Getting tired of walking around in circles like an idiot, she called out to a tall, beautiful blond girl that was walking ahead of her. Her clothes were immaculately pressed and her hair hung pin straight half way down her back. Hermione guessed that she was either a sixth or seventh year.

" _Excuse me,"_ she called. The blond turned around at the sound of Hermione's voice.

" _I don't suppose you would know what dorm I'm supposed to be in? The Headmaster hadn't relayed any information whatsoever concerning that subject,"_ she said.

The girl half snorted. " _Yeah, you better get used to that. He's known for being extremely incompetent."_ She turned around, flicking her shiny hair in the process and pointed in the direction of what Hermione assumed was her room.

" _Just go down that hallway there, make a right, then make a left, another right, there will be a sort of four-way, you go straight, then there's a sharp right up by the statue, go up the mini flight of stairs, there will be a small but wide hallway with only about four doors lining it. Yours is the one all the way at the end to the right."_

" _Jesus fucking Christ,"_ Hermione thought.

" _Right, thank you,"_ Hermione said, heading off in the direction the girl pointed to. The halls seemed never ending as she winded through all the "rights" and the "lefts" the blond had instructed her to go down. When she finally reached the statue, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost there.

Climbing up the small four steps or so, Hermione came upon a small, dark hallway with only four doors lining it. She walked to the end until she came upon the last door to the right. She looked around, noticing how quiet the hallway sounded. Was she the only one living down here? Hermione didn't like the idea of living so deep into the snake pit. She was so used to living out in spots where she could make a quick escape. Here, she was cornered.

Sighing, Hermione opened the door to her new living quarters. The room was HUGE. A large, king-sized bed lay in the middle of the room, its green and silver bed sheets glinting off the lighting of the expensive-looking lamps that sat on either side of the bed.

" _Wait… those aren't lamps,"_ Hermione said to herself, walking towards one of them. The "lamps" were actually balls of light floating underneath a green cover. How on Earth did you turn them on and off? Hermione had never seen this before…

" _I guess this is what you get when you have money,"_ she thought sadly. Turning around to inspect the rest of the room, her eyes fell on the dark desk that sat adjacent to the bed, luggage and books laying all across and around it. Furrowing her eyebrows, Hermione walked over to find a white piece of paper lying on top of the heap of books on the desk. Picking it up, she unfolded it and began to read.

 _My Beautiful Hermione,_

 _I am more than certain that these books only hold a small allocation of the knowledge and wisdom I witness every time I look at you. I know that being around students who have not lost as much as you can be heartbreaking, but the fact that you feel pain like this is your greatest strength. Hold on to it my sweet girl… it might just be your saving grace._

 _With love,_

 _Nadia_

Hermione read the letter over and over again, Nadia's words etching into her mind. Carefully folding the letter back up again, she opened the suitcases to find multiple sets of clothing, including four brand new Hogwarts uniforms. She ran her fingers over the dark fabric, winding in between the green and silver ties that accompanied them.

Sighing, Hermione closed the trunk, climbing under the covers where she fell into a deep, dark sleep.

 _"_ _Oi! 'Mione! Wait for me!"_

 _"_ _Come on Ronald, keep up! The shop's about to close any minute and I REALLY want ice cream!"_

 _"_ _Alright then…" Ron picked Hermione up and threw her over his shoulder. Squealing, Hermione yelled for him to put her down._

 _"_ _Ron! RON! Put me down!" she said with a grin on her face._

 _"_ _Nope! You want ice cream, well this is how we're getting there on time."_

 _"_ _RON! RON!" squealed Hermione._

 _Ron finally put her down, only to realize the shop already closed._

 _"_ _Uhhh, Hermione? Shopsclosedwedidntmakeitintime."_

 _"_ _What did you say?"_

 _"_ _Shop's closed…."_

 _Hermione turned around, disappointed. Ron came from behind and put his arms around her._

 _"_ _Hey, we'll get some tomorrow, I promise."_

 _Hermione turned around, smiling at her boyfriend. "Don't say you promise! You always jinx things!"_

 _"_ _Ah alright! Alright! I take it back, I take it back!" Ron laughed. "I don't take back what I said earlier though. I love you, Hermione. I promise to always love you," Ron said seriously._

 _Hermione kissed him, and brought him into her arms. Suddenly, she smelled something, like something was rotting. She pulled back from Ron to ask if he smelled it too, but instead screamed at the top of her lungs._

 _Ron's face was decayed, maggots hanging from every opening. Hermione stumbled back, terrified of the scene that was her boyfriend. Ron held open his arms for her._

 _"_ _Hermione? What's wrong? Come here, I love you Hermione. I love you. I love you Hermione, I love you."_

 _Ron kept repeating the sentence over and over, all the while stepping closer to her. "NO!" she screamed._

 _"_ _Hermione, I'm so cold. Help me, 'Mione. I'm so cold."_

 _Black liquid oozed from his mouth, and the skin on his arms looked as if they were melting off, piece by piece, showing the muscle beneath it._

 _"_ _Why did you do this to me, Hermione? Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me, Hermione? I'm so cold. Come here, I love you Hermione, I love you."_

 _As soon as Ron said this, his head detached from his body, blood spilling everywhere._

Hermione woke up in a cold sweat, shaking violently. The nightmare had caused her nails to sink into her skin, her eyes falling to her arms to find that she had drawn blood. Her face was soaked, drowning in the tears that wouldn't stop falling. She stayed in her bed, shaking and sobbing. She couldn't stop thinking about Ron, and the scary part was, the scene she had actually witnessed in the future wasn't that far off from the one in her nightmare.

Looking at the clock, she noticed it was only three in the morning. Students wouldn't be getting up for at least another three hours. She placed her head in her hands, fighting off the image of a decaying Ron.

Throwing back the covers, she shakily got out of bed and headed for the huge bathroom across the hall. Hermione quietly opened her door, peeking around the doorframe to make sure that she was alone. Hogwarts now was no longer a sanctuary to her. It was her own personal hell, the source of her nightmares. Precautions would have to be taken, especially with her now being within painful reach of the future Dark Lord.

Finally reaching the shower, she stripped and stepped in, turning the knob all the way.

" _Hermione, I love you. Hermione, why did you leave me? I'm so cold."_

The memory of Ron's words echoed through her head as her tears began to mix with the water pouring down on her face. She took a seat on the floor, pulling her legs up to her chin as the scalding water beat her back. The image of Ron's head detaching from his body replayed over and over in her head.

" _No,"_ Hermione sobbed brokenly. " _No, please stop."_

" _Your time isssss up, Mudblood. Tell me. Tell me where it isss."_

" _You will watch your friends die. This is what you've caused. Remember that."_

Riddle's handsome face flashed through her mind, his sharp, blue eyes piercing her soul like a knife. She had to admit they were beautiful beyond imagination, but they weren't like Ron's. They held no love, no sympathy… it was like he was an emotionless rock. She imagined those blue depths morphing into red slits, the hissing echo of his laugh reverberating through her head.

She stayed in her position for what seemed like hours, trapped in the pits of her own mind. Standing up from her spot on the floor, Hermione washed her body and hair, scrubbing away the horrid images that continuously plagued her. Wrapping a towel around herself, she headed back to her room.

Entering her dorm, she closed the door and slid down, pulling her knees up to her chest. She stared miserably at the wall, her eyes circled with spread tears. She listened to the rhythm of the lake's water moving against the outer castle wall. The water's sound soothed her, and as she listened more closely, she heard the mermaids singing in the distance.

Their songs reminded her of Riddle. Their voices were beautiful but the mermaids themselves were deadly. From what Dumbledore had told her before the Final Battle, Riddle was a very charismatic young man in his time at Hogwarts. Everybody liked him and he had every professor wrapped around his finger. Everyone but Dumbledore, of course. It was the main reason Riddle didn't like him.

" _Dumbledore…"_ Hermione thought, furrowing her eyebrows. What was he up to? He hadn't showed up to her Sorting, which was very unlike him. Especially after he told her he would escort her to it himself. No, something was very wrong.

Closing her eyes, she lifted herself off of the floor. She only had the energy to focus on one problem at a time, and right now, that problem was figuring out how the hell she was supposed to endure being near Riddle almost the entire day.

Sighing, she unwrapped her towel and slipped on her black stockings, black skirt, and black sweater. The Hogwarts uniform in this time period was different from the one in the future, but she strangely liked it. Her last piece of clothing was her tie, and she stared at it loathingly in her hands. It pained her to put on the green and silver instead of the red and gold, but she had to get used to it.

Staring at her knotting, already-frizzing hair, Hermione took out her wand and performed a drying spell that caused her hair to fall in natural, shining curls all the way down to the middle of her back. Hermione noticed that her hair was lighter, her curls looking blonder than light brown. Had time travel done this to her? Never in her life had she touched bleach or hair color. She found herself admiring the sleek, honey blond curls in the mirror, until her reflection landed on her eyes.

Dark circles lined her skin, the purple bruising standing out against the slight pallor of her skin. Her sunken appearance from starvation made her look close to a skeleton, and Hermione turned to dig for the small bag of cosmetics that Nadia had thankfully provided her with.

Hermione hated makeup. She never was good at applying the right amount of foundation and the mascara brush would always end up in her cornea, not on her eyelashes.

Despite her past cosmetic woes, she went for a more natural look. She applied nude eyeshadow with a few swipes of mascara that made her bright, caramel eyes look larger and more innocent. The bruises she acquired on one side of her face when she landed on the concrete were large and purple beyond imagination. Foundation would not do it any justice, so she left her scarred, bruised face as it was.

" _This is as good as it's going to get, Hermione,"_ she distantly mumbled to herself. " _Let's hope that it's good enough."_ Breaking her eyes away from her battered face, she turned to the clock which read six-thirty.

Sighing, Hermione grabbed her bag with all the required textbooks she would need for the day. She wasn't supposed to get her schedule until breakfast but Nadia had "conveniently" slipped a list of her Monday classes in with the note she left. After making sure she had everything, Hermione slipped out of her room and headed to breakfast.

She walked as quietly as her heels would allow, finally making it to the stairs that led to the common room. She walked down soundlessly, making sure that no one was in the vicinity. She really didn't want to be bothered right now. After checking that the coast was clear, she walked across the common room and out of the portrait hole that led to the hallway. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she left without detection. She wouldn't put it past Riddle to be waiting for her with his "welcome" façade.

Walking towards the way that she thought was the direction of the Great Hall, she studied the walls of the castle that once made her feel so safe. Her distraction caused her to make a few turns that didn't make sense and she heaved a sigh of frustration. If anyone was following her, she wouldn't have to pretend she didn't know where she was going because she genuinely didn't know. She hadn't had any reason to come down to the dungeons other than Potions class.

After about fifteen minutes of walking in circles, Hermione finally found a staircase that led to the upper level and she internally rejoiced. When she walked up to the Great Hall, she froze.

Traces of blood lined the walls, its coppery scent reaching her nostrils, causing her to heave. Her, Harry, Ron and Ginny were lucky enough to escape this battle, Hermione watching as what looked like projections of themselves running out of the Great Hall, stepping over the bodies of their fallen classmates.

" _FRED! GEORGE! NO!"_

 _Screams erupted from every corner._

 _YOUR FILTHY BLOOD WILL PAINT THESE WALLS!"_

" _Luna, look out!"_

 _A flash of green darted her way, the demonic, twisted face of Voldemort flashing through her mind._

" _KILL THEM ALL!"_

" _HERMIONE!"_

Hermione broke out of the memory violently, gasping for breath. She needed to get out of here. She darted aimlessly around the hallways, placing her hand upon the wall for support. When she looked back, smears of blood were left by her handprints. Hermione sobbed, sprinting down the hallway until she finally came upon a girls' lavatory.

Throwing herself across the sink, she let out her cries of pain and fear that she had been holding in. How was she supposed to go through with this mission when all she could see was blood and the dead carcasses of her friends?

Hermione sobbed with everything she had, the tears flowing down her face like rivers as images tainted with blood and death filled her head.

" _No. No, get out. Get out of my head,"_ she said, placing both of her hands on the sides of her skull, pushing hard as if the memories could be banned in that manner. An image of Voldemort's hissing face showed up in her mind, his deep laugh echoing throughout her brain.

" _GET OUT!"_ she screamed, causing the glass of the mirrors to explode, shards spraying her body. The toilets burst, water spilling out onto the floor.

Hermione paid no attention to the water that was building up around her ankles. All she could feel was the relief of the gory memories finally ending. She took a deep breath, closing her water-rimmed eyes.

" _Harry, Ron… I need your strength,"_ Hermione whispered, her face twisting into agony. " _I can't do this alone. Please, don't leave me alone."_

" _You can't let your guard down, Hermione. I can't lose you to him. You do realize what you put at stake tonight, don't you?" Harry said, staring at her with his bright, green eyes._

" _Yes, I know," Hermione said. "And I know what you're going to say. 'Your mind is our greatest weapon against him, Hermione. Your instinct and intelligence all match his and we finally have our chance to be on the offensive." Harry smiled at her impersonation of him._

" _But... I don't know if I'm strong enough to deal with this, Harry. All this death and misery… it's a cloud hanging over this place and it's suffocating."_

 _Harry took her hands into his._

" _Listen to me. You're my best friend, nothing will ever change that. You know that I would do anything to protect you, no matter what. Ron would do the same. You just have to have a little faith in yourself, Mione. You have no idea how often I look to you for strength when dealing with anything that has to do with Him. You are brave, intelligent, and loyal… and you love with all of your heart. Tell me how someone can NOT be attracted to that aura of yours," he said, playfully brushing her chin. His face became semi-serious._

" _You don't need power to defeat evil. Everything you need to overcome your doubts and your struggles is right here," he said, placing his hand upon Hermione's heart._

" _This right here is your strength. It's what makes you a survivor, and Voldemort's greatest demise."_

" _His greatest demise,"_ Hermione said to herself, furrowing her eyebrows. She sighed heavily, reaching up to wipe the tears from under her eyes. One flick of her wrist and the water pooling around her made their way back to the toilets, the glass shards of the mirrors piecing themselves back together.

After drying herself off and fixing the makeup that slightly smeared, Hermione headed back towards the Great Hall. As she neared the hallway, she took deep, calming breaths. The faint smell of stale copper reached her nostrils, causing the nausea to build up again.

" _Fight it, Hermione. You can do this,"_ she thought to herself.

Stopping just outside the doorframe of the Great Hall, she watched as students poured over their breakfasts, talking amongst themselves as if they didn't have a care in the world. Hermione envied them boundlessly.

" _I know that being around students who have not lost as much as you can be heartbreaking, but the fact that you feel pain like this is your greatest strength. Hold on to it my sweet girl… it might just be your saving grace."_

Nadia's words reached out in Hermione's head, causing her to take a deep breath.

Pulling her eyes away from the students, she looked up at the enchanted ceiling. It had been so long since she had seen it move, its beauty rendering her speechless. After a minute of admiring it, she stopped to find multiple sets of eyes on her, whispers erupting at the sight of the girl who had dealt out so much death in her short lifetime.

Spotting the sea of Slytherins at the farthest table to the left, Hermione entered the Hall, her eyes scanning for an available and preferably secluded seat. To her horror, the Slytherins were spread out along the entire length of the table, each available space too close to a snake for her comfort.

" _Oh, come on,"_ she thought, finally settling for a seat that was conveniently not too far from Riddle. If she wanted to succeed with this mission, getting close to Riddle was unavoidable. She wasn't planning on making friends with him, or any type of conversation for that matter. As of right now, she was going to play the quiet bystander, closely listening in on his plans that he relayed to his followers.

She felt his eyes watching her closely as she gently sat her bag on the table, brushing her hair behind her ear which gave him a full view of the dark bruises that lined her face and neck.

As soon as she was seated, Hermione could do nothing but stare at the array of food that was laid out in front of her. Voldemort had starved her during her imprisonment, his followers throwing her a small piece of stale bread once in a while. Her eyes welled up in tears as she refused to touch any of the food, afraid that someone might Crucio her if she even reached for it.

Suddenly the sound of wings flapping filled the entire hall, students looking up to the ceiling to find what seemed like hundreds of birds flying to their respective owners, delivering their post. Hermione's heart ached at the thought of never receiving a letter from her parents ever again.

Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw a barn owl flying straight to where she sat, dropping a letter right on top of her empty plate. Recovering from the shock of actually receiving post, Hermione carefully opened the letter, pulling out what looked like her schedule and a small separate piece of paper.

Unfolding the piece of paper, the familiar handwriting met her large, shining orbs.

 _My dear Hermione,_

 _The Order has sent me out on a mission so I won't be able to owl you for a few days. From what I know, Grindelwald IS looking for you, tirelessly I might add. You destroyed something of his that he believed to be impenetrable. I want you to be extremely careful. Grindelwald has some sick, special interest in you. Even sending this letter was risky but I had to warn you. I beg of you, please do not wander outside of the school's boundaries. I'll see you when I return, and you can tell me all about your first week at school._

 _Remember what I said. Burn this letter after you read it._

 _With love,_

 _Nadia_

Hermione looked up from the letter frantically, her mind going into overdrive. " _What did I destroy that Grindelwald believed to be impenetrable?"_ she thought, furrowing her eyebrows. As if on cue, her left shoulder began to burn as if the creature that sunk its teeth into it in the first place was attempting it from the afterlife. Then, the realization hit her. Nadia's words came back to her like a flash of lightning.

" _A darkling? I can't… no person in history has ever survived their prediction to tell the tale. How on earth… how did you escape?"_

" _You destroyed something of his that he believed to be impenetrable."_

Hermione fisted the hand in which Nadia's note resided in. Flames engulfed the parchment, the blaze reaching a high peak before dissipating completely. The ashes of the ominous note fell onto her empty plate, leaving behind the crucial feeling that the darkling was placed in that forest for a reason.

" _But for what? What purpose would Grindelwald have to use a darkling?"_ Hermione thought, looking off into the distance. " _He wouldn't need a creature like that unless he was guarding something…"_

BINGO.

Hastily grabbing her bag, Hermione made her way out of the Great Hall, her heels clicking on the stone floor. Cold, blue eyes glinted malevolently at the sight of her leaving, their dark, deadly depths turning to the parchment that still hissed and stirred in its ashes.


End file.
